Some Thoughts for Earth Week.

We have had quite a week, haven't we? The news has been, and is still, full of accounts about the bombings in Boston. Add to that the terrible explosion in West, Texas, and one begins to wonder if all the world, or at least our corner of it, is headed down a very bad path. It is Earth Week, when we cannot help but be reminded that we have altered the earth's behavior in ways that may be, in fact, irreversible. What are people of faith to do, or think in the midst of all of the bad news? Well, to take a page from our Jewish brothers and sisters, Tikkun olam, or heal the world. The thinking behind this saying is that the world is broken and we all need to work together to fix it. It sounds simple, doesn't it? We can all work together to repair the broken people and places in the world. But it is not easy, because our attitudes get in the way too often. When I arrive at work each day, I park next to the same pickup truck which has a sticker on its rear cab window that states, "Welcome to America. Now, learn to speak English!" Each time I read that, I am troubled, because I think that what lies behind the sentiment of such a statement is, "Be like me, like the rest of us, and you will be welcome." Healing the broken bits and people of the world means learning to look at the world through new lenses. For people of faith, and I will speak of Christianity, since that is my tradition, we are to look through lenses that see the world and its people as objects of God's love. This then causes us to ask ourselves, "How can I hate someone or something that is loved by God?" How can we act carelessly regarding the natural world when we believe that it is the creation of God? How can we harbor prejudices against those who are different from us when the story of our faith tells us that Christ came for all people, not just for some? Earth Week is a good time to remind ourselves that we are guests on this planet, and we should treat it with respect. But we are also hosts, so we should treat all people as honored guests, at least in attitude. The young man who helped set off the bombs in Boston was a college student, the age of the people with whom I have spent most of my professional life. It's too late to turn his thinking from violence, he has killed and destroyed and broken members and parts of God's creation. What am I to think about him? Am I wrong to wonder if someone, anyone, will care about his spiritual needs? After all, he is a terrorist. So, I must struggle with that question as I contemplate Tikkun olam. His life does not fall outside the realm of lives needing healing, does it? Each of us must deal with God's demands upon us in our own way. This Earth Week, what special cares have been laid upon your heart?

In Times Like These.......

As I gaze out my office window, I see bright red tulips blooming, and the trees have begun to leaf out. If I look out the hall windows just outside my office door, I see a gorgeous weeping wild cherry tree in its full floral regalia. Looking at my computer screen, I read accounts of the horrific bombing in Boston on Monday. Glancing at my calendar, I see a "hold" for a memorial service that I will conduct in less than a week. So, this spring is one of life, and death, of indescribable beauty and agonizing tragedy. This spring season is a microcosm of life, isn't it? As members of a faith community, we are called to believe in life in the face of death, and hope in the midst of despair. There have been countless people throughout the centuries who have asked, "How can a loving God allow such things to happen?" I have no doubt that many people are asking themselves the same question today. But it's the wrong question, it really is. We are the people of God and we were created in God's image. But some people do terrible things, and others die for no good reason, and yet, we remain God's people. Don't hesitate to ask God "Why?" in your prayers and meditations. God knows of our sadness and frustration before we even ask, and better than anyone, God knows why we ask. But don't expect to be able to make sense of tragedy, because sometimes, most times, tragedy makes no sense. Random acts of violence appear to serve a purpose only in the minds of those who commit them. We will never be able to resolve the sense of unfairness and outrage that we may feel when something bad happens in our lives, or in the lives of those we love. Our faith tells us not to respond to violence in kind, but that is not a popular option. How are we to believe that good can prevail when so much that happens around us seems to indicate otherwise? Remember the events of Holy Week and of Easter, and against all evidence to the contrary, believe in God's providential care and love. After all, what are the other options that will not cause us to be consumed with hate and thoughts of revenge? There is a quote I heard once, and I don't know who wrote it, but it has given me immense comfort over the years. In these uncertain times, remember these words: "When you come to the end of all of the light you know, and stand at the edge of darkness, faith says that one of two things will happen: either you will step onto something solid, or you will be taught to fly."

Is It Just Me?

I spoke to a university class this week about leadership. Actually, they peppered me with questions for more than two hours and I responded. It was a great exercise in mental acuity, or lack thereof. I spoke of my understanding of scripture, and how having been a biblical studies major has been of great help in my professional and personal life. Many students nodded approval, while at least one looked at me with concern. It was that look that says, "How can you claim to be a Christian and believe that way?" I have seen that look often, beginning in my own college days, when I finally began thinking for myself regarding my religious beliefs. Why is it that those of us who preach about a more open and hospitable faith are those who get the stares from other people of faith? Why is the assumption always seemingly that we are wrong and they are right? Who said that Jesus was the founder of a close-minded religion, more concerned with keeping people out than letting them in to the Kingdom? Along those lines, someone referred me to a new branch of a mainline Protestant denomination that has formed in the past couple of years. So, I went to the website and checked out the confession of faith. Before doing so I kept wondering why this particular denomination gave birth to a new splinter group? I had my suspicions, which I hoped were not true. However, my suspicions were confirmed when I read the church's definition of marriage and family. You know what's coming, don't you? A family is defined there as a father, mother and children. Marriage is to be understood solely as a union of a man and woman. So, this new church, then, has laid out the welcome mat for heterosexual people only. And I wonder to myself, why? I am the first to admit that I don't have a corner on religious knowledge or correct faith practice. But I do claim that my Christian faith and understandings are based on a lifetime of study and reflection on scripture and tradition. I am not going back to the exclusivist theology of my young adult years. I would much rather view others as potential friends and kindred spirits, even when their religious beliefs differ from mine, and even when they claim no beliefs. Perhaps the worst to be said about me after I die will be that I was too open and accepting of others. And I can live with that.

Easter is Past, Now What?

Easter Sunday has come and gone. Now it becomes a challenge for pastors to hold the attention of our faith communities as we progress through the Sundays of Easter, on the way to Pentecost. For those of us who lead congregations in academic communities, the challenge is also how to keep folks engaged while, all around us, signs of the end are evident. Final projects will come due, a flurry of presentations and lunch discussions will occur, and students are beginning to panic about final exams. Faculty and staff are wondering if, a) the weather will ever warm up and, b) if the academic year will ever end and will they get everything done before it does. So, perhaps this is the time to reinforce the message of Easter: our lives don't have to go on in exactly the same way as they have! The resurrection tells us that life as we know it changed, once and for all, a long time ago. Fortunately, we get a yearly reminder at Easter, because our spiritual memories are quite short. It is so easy to get caught up in all of our work and responsibilities, and to forget that our Christian faith also applies to those real world headaches. Easter is prophetic, it dares to speak out in the midst of skepticism, boredom and "business as usual" to proclaim that God has broken through the ennui of our sometimes hum-drum existence. Prophetic voices call us to alternative ways that dare us to become excited about Jesus "third" way, which goes up against the usual ways of doing things in every time and place. God's economy is not ours, and time is not an enemy of the Kingdom. So, be glad and rejoice. You have not been left behind after Easter. God will continue to lead you into new ways of living, loving and service. We have, once again, been reminded that life never need be the same again. Alleluia!