The Upload
Posted on Jul 15, 2016 by
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
I have been truly troubled over the events of the last week, as I am sure you have been, too! The brutal slaughter of five police officers in Dallas and the killing of two black men, Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge and Philando Castile in St. Paul, by police all continue to point to the fact that these are troubled days in our world.
It seems to me that at the heart of all these killings, and the numerous others that are happening daily all around the world, is the concern that somehow we have lost sight of the fact that each of us, as different as we all are from each other, are children of God’s. The fact is, regardless of our skin color, or our economic status, or our faith tradition, or our sexuality, or any other division that we attempt to create between each other, God claims us as his, and God proclaims us as worthy of her love. Yes, each of us is seen by God as good and as worthy of God’s love, but somehow, the world has become accustom to seeing some folks as not as important as others. Since the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, the movement known as Black Lives Matter has taken root. At its heart, I believe, the Black Lives Matter movement is a plea, request, and demand to be seen and a request to be treated with equality. The point of this movement is not that only black lives matter, but instead it is a movement that is critiquing a culture that acts as if some lives matter less than others.
The shootings last week all point to the truth that as a society, depending on what group you belong to, each of us sees other lives as less important. The massacre in Orlando, the resistance to admitting refugees to our country and sanctuary, the fear-mongering that has plagued this election, all of these are a result, in part, from our tendencies to hold steadfast to our own cultural norms and expectations that we refuse to see others as God does and cannot see the new possibilities God is still unfolding before us. Even the despicable violence unleashed in anger and, I suspect, profound mental illness in Dallas is part and parcel of a world and culture that constantly draws lines between who’s in and who’s out, who counts and who doesn’t, who is worthy of respect and who is not. But here’s the kicker to all our divisiveness and anger toward each other, scripture is very clear that whenever we draw a line between who’s in and who’s out, we inevitably find Jesus on the other side.
In the Gospel of John, the writer says, “And the Word became flesh and lived among us…” (John 1:14). This means that Jesus came to live amongst all of us. As I noted in my letter last week, Paul in his letter to the Romans said, “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him” (Romans 10:12). Jesus came into this world because of God’s love for all God’s creation. The divisions that separate God’s people are made by humans, not God. So as I struggle with what is happening all around us, I wonder, what can we do to begin to change this world? Is there a way that each of us can change our hearts and our attitudes toward those whom we fear? Is there a way that we can as a faith community share with the community around us that we believe all lives matter and that no matter who you are, you are loved and welcome in this place? This sounds so easy, but to be open and welcoming is that hardest thing we are called to do, because to do this means we have to be willing to change; to be open and welcoming means that we recognize that we do not exist to serve ourselves, but to serve others.
I pray this week that each of us might find a way to open our hearts and our eyes to the injustices in this world and see that all life matters and it is up to us to help the world see this, too.
Have a blessed and holy week!
Shalom,
Pr. Dave