Dear Friends,
Last weekend, the events that took place were unacceptable. Violence must have no place in our politics. Sadly, what happened on Saturday was not an isolated incident of political violence in our country, but a recurring event. So, what are we to do? How are we to react as followers of Jesus? As Christians, which means “little Christs”?
In the book, Life After Doom, by Brian McLaren describes a choice between two stories upon which we can focus. The first story is
… the ongoing story of humanity’s bumpy descent toward collapse …. Not just about atmospheric gases. It’s about our toxic political atmosphere and hot air from the pundit-sphere. It’s not just about rising global temperatures and extreme storms; it’s about our lukewarm spiritual climate and overheated religious extremism. It’s not just about rising sea levels; it’s about rising levels of economic inequality and racial injustice. It’s not just about melting ice; it’s about bonds of connection dissolving among us.”
The second story upon which we can focus. It involves
… unfolding beauty in the world … Each bird I see – really see – is an evangelist of the beautiful news. I see a bird and I know in my bones: beauty abounds. Suddenly I start seeing beauty popping up everywhere …. I see it when I look at people … a husband hugging his wife goodbye at the airport, a mom feeding crackers to her toddler in a park, an elderly lesbian couple holding hands at a music festival, a roomful of people busting some impressive [dance moves at a party].
We must not shutter our eyes and ears to what is happening around us. God invites us to connect with God’s very self and to love others. We cannot do that if we just pay attention to what’s wrong. We must know what’s wrong and see the good world and good life that God gives us each day. In doing so, we will be little Christs in the world starving for love.
In Christ,
Fr. Jonathan