February, 2009
Pastor's Message
Dear Friends,
I'm writing this just after watching the inspiring inauguration of President Barack Obama. The day before the inauguration, an important prayer was said by Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, from Massachusetts. I was struck by an element of rhetoric used -- that communicated clearly an important theological point -- that bad news can really be good news.
When change is needed, it's not helpful to hear the same old things we've heard that led to the problems. Robinson used a paradoxical formulation to ask God for a new blessing we may have tried to avoid as citizens.
He said, "bless us with tears ,""Blessed this nation with anger," "Bless us with discomfort." Those don't sound like blessings! -- but they can be at this time.
Tears need to fall down our collective cheeks for "a world in which over a billion people exist on less than a dollar a day, where young women in many lands are beaten and raped for wanting an education, and thousands die daily from malnutrition, malaria, and AIDS." Such tears will rightly be a blessing to our souls.
We must be angry "at discrimination, at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants, women, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people." Such anger is righteous, good anger.
May God "bless us with discomfort at the easy, simplistic answers we've preferred to hear from our politicians, instead of the truth about ourselves and our world, which we need to face if we are going to rise to the challenges of the future." Yes, God, afflict us where are we are too comfortable. Give us restless hearts until we get up and give some of our leisure time to help bring peace and justice and integrity to our land. We have been in denial regarding the way our lifestyles participate in injustice and an unsustainable exploitation of our environment. let us life simply in order that so many others may simply live!
Blessings come in all flavors – these blessings are salty like tears – others are sweet like sugar. It's good to reminded of our need for both types. May our blessings be both salty and sweet.
Peace,
Chris
