Thank you, Bishop Budde

 

I always enjoyed teaching civics. Because of its relevance you can really get students thinking, and when they are engaged and thinking learning takes place. We may all feel exhausted by today’s politics, but rarely are we bored. Today’s craziness makes teaching civics all the more fun. You can use the crazy to engage your students, and then begin to help them think for themselves on the issues. 

Sometimes, in our polarized world, all of us can begin to feel apathy – what difference does it make? This is especially true for students. I tried to help them see that the polarization makes it all the more important we speak our mind and cast our votes. A handful of votes, in today’s environment, do make a difference. As a teacher I couldn’t speak for a particular candidate or party, but rather I educated and encouraged students to ask questions, participate, and vote for whom they believed could make a difference

It’s fun to get students excited about their role in our democracy. But there is also the backlash when they get behind a candidate and that candidate loses. Or they put all their trust in someone and end up being disappointed. It’s hard to re-energize our civic duty after such a blow. This is especially true of our youngest voters. They are still so very idealistic, and when those ideals fail them, it can be devastating.

I think a lot of people choosing to vote for Donald Trump have had those crushing experiences. They put their trust in politicians who misused that trust and disillusioned their once idealistic opinion of what the government could do. Along comes a non-politician, who, like them, wants to stick it to the politicians who failed them. Here is the people’s candidate, wanting to make America more like their ideal.

Though understandable, the problems with this thinking are multi-layered and complex. For one thing, America has never been ideal.  There have always been groups of people who have not found the American dream and feel our country has been anything but great. There is no “great again” if you’ve never experienced great.  Our issues of immigration, race, poverty and gender all underscore people who are looking for a sustainable lifestyle, better than they currently have – even if it’s not great now. They are just asking for better.

Is Donald Trump the answer to their hopes and dreams? Certainly not for the immigrant trying to get into American to find a better life. Trump would like to close that door. When he speaks of immigrants he paints them all as criminals, mentally ill and somehow defective and dangerous. Certainly there are examples of this within the groups seeking to enter the country. But, there are just as many dangerous people who are citizens of this country. Most people seeking a better life in America are people just like you and me. People who have families they would like to clothe and feed and shelter. People come to America because they already see America as great, or at least a whole lot better than where they come from. They are not seeking asylum here to cause trouble. They are seeking to make a life for themselves, a bit of the American Dream.

And when we continually hear all immigrants being painted as criminals, we begin to look around us at all people who are different. It’s as if all this negative, disparaging talk about immigrants has spread to cover anyone who is not like us. Racism and bigotry has been running rampant throughout our country. I am not so naïve as to think this is a new problem. We’ve always had racism, but the rhetoric has ramped up over the last 8 years. And negative rhetoric has led to negative behavior.

This week at an inauguration prayer gathering at the National Cathedral, Bishop Budde shared her hopes and prayers for a little less of this rhetoric. She asked that we, President and Vice President included, remember that migrants are people too. They are people who come here and work hard at jobs none of us want, so we can literally enjoy the fruit of their labor. The majority of these people are not dangerous or criminal. Could we not show mercy towards these people and be kind and honoring to these fellow human beings? 

And the LGBTQ+ community who are living in fear of unknown and threatened legislation that tears at their way of life, can we not show mercy and be kind and honoring to them as well? These are also human beings, deserving the respect all humans desire. They just want to live their lives, support their families, raise their children and love their partners. They are no threat to any of us, and yet they are being threatened.

Bishop Budde has been criticized for “politicizing” her sermon. She wasn’t telling us who to support in a political race. She was asking for kindness and compassion for people who are being targeted. Maybe even asking that they not be targeted at all, but that was subtext. She was reminding us that these targeted people are God’s creatures, made in His image. We are to love one another, not persecute. We are to show mercy. That’s not politics; it’s not even civics, it’s Christianity 101.

I once had a parent ask me if I taught “Christian Civics”.  I wondered what that is, and how is it different from regular civics?  I realize he was asking how I spin civics. Do I assert my political beliefs into class and onto my students?  I tried very hard not to, and mostly succeeded in keeping my personal views private. As a Christian, however, I try to place the same value on human beings that Jesus did, so giving even the people I disagree with dignity and respect was very important to me. I felt a responsibility to teach and encourage my students to show respect and dignity even when they disagreed, to be kind and accepting of the other person even if you hated their ideas. I believe that is both an American and a Christian tenant, I can disagree with you and not have to kill you.  Tolerance, acceptance, kindness, respect, and yes, mercy.

Thank you, Bishop Budde for speaking out this week. You gave us all a great example of speaking truth in the face of power, but doing so with kindness and respect, only asking the same of our most disenfranchised people. That is a living example of Christianity in action that makes me proud to share her faith.

Flag Flying

 

For the month following the death of President Carter, flags are to be hung at half-mast, to honor him and express a nation’s grief. However, in the middle of this month of mourning comes the inauguration of our new President, who did not want the flags around Washington to be hanging in mourning for his big day. So for one day, they will fly full on, and then the day after his inauguration, will go back to half-mast.

There is an ironic appropriateness to this, the nation in mourning the day after the new President is sworn in. Many of us felt this election result was like something had died. For me, it was one more item in a year of sadness. The fact is, my life has been flying half-mast for several months now.

In the past year two close friends lost their husbands, I lost my sister and the mother of another close friend. That’s a lot of loss, especially my sister. In addition to these deaths, I retired in June. I decided it was time, and set the day several years ago. Little did I know the timing would be so complicated. On top of these many deaths, my remaining sibling decided to move out of state. I have been flying at half-mast.

My goal all summer was to try and complete at least one project a day. For the most part, I succeeded, if you count cooking a meal a project. Most of the time I sat and read or played Spider Solitaire or Sherlock Holmes. I grieved the losses. On a lot of days I struggled to stay awake. September came, and where I had returned to school every fall for 30+ years, this year I stayed home, and continued the summer’s routine. People came to visit. We took a couple of trips. I cooked and baked and made bookmarks and candles, painted furniture and went out to lunch with friends. And I grieved.

Just before the holidays I began to have more energy, and actually enjoyed buying Christmas presents and decorating my house. We hosted our annual party. But as Christmas day landed, and my sister’s absence was deeply felt, I sank back down again. Three weeks later and I’m still flying half-mast.

Everyone wants to know how I’m spending my retirement, what new projects I’ve begun or new job prospects I have in mind?  I’ve got nothing, beyond reading and writing and occasional creative projects. At first it bothered me that I didn’t have a better story to tell. But now I realize the grace I’ve been given to have retired this particular year and have the time to walk through my grief, and share that walk with the others in my life who have lost as well. After a life time of being a workaholic, I’ve been forced into living at half-mast, and I’m not the worse for wear. Anxiety has been a constant companion for decades, and now that I have nothing to angst over, I still can manufacture a worry. So I am thankful I don’t have any real worries or significant responsibilities beyond laundry and groceries, making dinner. You can do those things while half-mast.

Flying at full height requires a lot more energy, but half-mast isn’t passive – you still flutter in the wind and dance around the pole, just not as high. Half-mast alerts people to the fact that something major has happened in the world, and we need to stop and notice and give it time.  When at full-mast (is that the term?) we just take flags for granted, unless the wind is really blowing. It’s been good to have this time to heal, and not be expected to fully perform.

During this time I’ve read two particularly helpful books. The Good Gift of Weakness by Eric Schumacher, and Knowing the Truth of God’s Love by Peter Kreeft. Both books laid the groundwork for healing in my life, as well as a lot of thought for living once this time is past. We have this idea that we are invincible, always flying unfurled at the top of the pole. But storms and wind and tragedy strike us all. God has been very faithful to me during this difficult time, but I doubt I would even notice if I only relied on my strength. The forced weakness of grief has allowed God’s love and strength to fill in the weak spots. At full-mast I sometimes can convince myself I don’t even need God, or only think about it occasionally. But when you are forced to fly at half-mast, you are forced to see how crazy it is to think you are ever really strong or in control. God’s love and strength have been the support on which my flag flies. The real trick comes in continuing to lean on that support no matter the circumstances. When we feel strong, it’s easy to believe we have everything at hand. The truth is, we never do. Truth is, we need the pole if we are going to fly at all.

I don’t know what my life would have been like if the only change I encountered last year was retirement. But losing so many people I loved has taken its toll and impacted “retirement”.  Being forced to fly at half-mast has given me time to ease into my new life. I’m learning it’s ok to not be busy all the time. It makes it a lot easier to find time to be with friends, or work on long put-off projects.

I know at some point my flag will make it back to the top of the pole. Until then, I won’t be embarrassed about living at half-mast. My weakness allows God’s strength to be at full-mast. And I needed to be reminded that flags can’t fly, half-mast or full, without a pole. I placed my flag on God a long time ago and have found Him to be utterly faithful, half-mast or full.

 

Honoring President Jimmy Carter

 

Yesterday I watched President Jimmy Carter’s funeral service. It deeply moved me. I remember when he ran for president and used the term “born again” to describe who he was. It amazed me to hear someone running for president use a term that was so much a part of my life. I also heard the scoffing and the not so subtle reactions to his Christianity. President Carter didn’t fit the Presidential role. He wanted to be called “Jimmy”, not “James”. He wanted to be seen as the boy from Georgia, complete with his Southern accent and slow demeanor. He wanted to make a point about his Christianity that others before him hadn’t made. He was different.

I had been raised Republican, so Carter was also a disappointment in my family and world. My first experience voting had been for Nixon’s second term. That debacle ended in my disillusionment of politics in general, and Republicans specifically. I liked Gerald Ford, but understood why Carter had won. I found it interesting that a person’s faith figured liberally into my parent’s political choices, as long as they were Republican. But Jimmy Carter’s sincerity and depth in his beliefs didn’t seem to matter to them. They did to me.

Over the years, Jimmy Carter so impressed me with his post-presidency life and service. He lived out his Christianity is such vivid ways. He concerned himself with being a peace maker, a help giver and a humankind lover. He not only claimed he was a born again Christian, he lived a life that demonstrated what that oft-used phrase truly means. He walked as Jesus’ walked.

Eulogy after eulogy yesterday spoke to this. We’d all witnessed his goodness, but I was overwhelmed by how everyone attributed his actions to his faith. No one tried to say Jimmy Carter was just a good man, even though he certainly was. They all said Jimmy Carter was a man of faith who sought to live his life as such. All of his countless acts of mercy and love were the results of a man filled with God’s Spirit and power.

God knew and loved and molded this man, Jimmy Carter. God had great and surprising plans for this simple man from Plains Georgia. He raised him up to become President of the United States, and with the power of that office, laid the way for even more years of service to the poor and disenfranchised in America and around the world. And Carter always gave the glory of his successes to God. God opened doors for Carter to go through, and Carter went through and made a difference in every space.

What an incredible legacy. The things he did in his life were amazing in and of themselves, but to hear everyone tie those acts to his faith and trust in God – beyond incredible.  In the course of an hour or so, the entire watching world was reminded of the real power behind Jimmy Carter’s life. They also heard through messages and scripture, how to have that same power. It wasn’t about being President of the United States, it was about being a child of God.

It was not lost on me, and probably not lost on many at that service, that Carter was an exception. Two rows of past, present and newly elected Presidents came to honor President Carter. Lots of people in positions of power, including the present lineup, have claimed to be Christian. But it must be so difficult to have that much power and remember “without Christ we are nothing.”  Jimmy Carter didn’t just give word service to his beliefs. He lived his faith every day.

Christianity isn’t about good works.  We can all do good things. But what prompts those acts? How consistent are we in our acts of service? Jimmy Carter knew that good works didn’t make him a Christian. Belief in the forgiving power of Jesus Christ powered Jimmy Carter’s acts, not vice versa. And Christ’s power in Carter was seen in Carter’s consistent character – a person of honesty, compassion, mercy, kindness. Several people quoted Micah 6:8 “He has shown you O Mortal what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Another fitting Scripture would be Galatians 5:22 “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control.”  Both passages reflect President Jimmy Carter.

I finished watching that service with a desire to more purposefully pray for our leaders. Not all of them are Christians, not even some who might think they are. But they all need our prayers. They need good counsel and wise people who will stand for truth in the face of power. Our country needs God’s guidance and direction. That won’t come through the enactment of external laws or regulations. It will only come through people who have truly been “born again”, opening up their lives to serve God and be his heart and hands in our world.

The term “born again” has been abused and battered through the years. Being imperfect sinners, many of us “born againers” have confused and angered the world around us. We sometimes find it embarrassing to be associated with people who call themselves “born again” and act in ways Jesus would not. Yesterday I was proud to be part of the family of believers.

Jimmy Carter was a gift from God to our country. We mostly didn’t recognize it, especially while he was in office. However, his legacy is solid. This “born again” Christian from Georgia had made a difference. His witness to the Power and Glory of God still follows.

New Year's Resolution

 

A friend shared with me her frustration trying to find someone to pour a concrete foundation. The difficulty wasn’t for lack of concrete workers, it was because she and her partner were lesbians. Somehow pouring a foundation for a gay couple would tarnish their business. Or more probably, go against their religious beliefs. I repeated this story to my brother-in-law, and he sarcastically said, “Yes, that’s just what Jesus would do.”

I’ve been reading about spirituality and discipleship. One point related to those Christians who refuse service to anyone from the LGBTQ+ community. Due to lack of teaching or lack of practice, many Christians believe spirituality is something we do, action. And don’t get me wrong, there is plenty for us to do. But when our focus is on the “good effort”, we are not practicing Christian Spirituality, we are just doing works, and often turning into Pharisees.  True Christian spirituality involves my action of release, turning my will over to God’s, and allowing the Holy Spirit to create Christ-likeness in me, through me. An obvious example would be the Fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control.

Perhaps the concrete pourer thought he was expressing self-control, losing a sale to stand for what he believes is right. However, what of the other six aspects of the Fruit? And what of the fact that the Fruit is singular, so we can’t just put forth one aspect and leave the others. True Spirituality is allowing the Spirit to bloom, and what people will see is Jesus. And what did Jesus do? He fed the 5000, and didn’t ask who was sinless before he fed them all. He talked with the Samaritan woman with several strikes against her, including being a Samaritan and a woman. Jesus didn’t let that stop him from revealing himself to her. He healed lepers, some by touching them. In fact, his behavior was so different from the religious leaders of his day, they hated him the more.  Perhaps the concrete pourer wouldn’t have felt comfortable working for Jesus either?

From what part of Jesus’ example did we ever get the idea we could pick and choose whom to love? When did we forget that Jesus died for everyone, including me? If he had to die for me, why would I ever pass judgement on any other person and determine if they are fit for my service, let alone Christ’s? If not serving sinners is my business model, I would have no business. “All have sinned and fall short.” “Christ died for the ungodly.” I think Jesus enjoyed the Pharisees complaining that he, Jesus, only ate with sinners and tax collectors. Well, he probably did not enjoy it; it probably broke his heart, because they were missing out on dinner with God.  Not just dinner, but life with God.

A good New Year’s goal would be to love more and judge less. The only way to accomplish that goal is to have an overarching goal of giving myself more each day to God’s Spirit’s control. So, to restate my goal for 2025, I would like to look more like Jesus this New Year, bearing his fruit so others can see Jesus in my life.

Happy New Year.