ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 23, 2023
I’m sure you have moments in life when a date on the calendar sort of hits you hard. Sometimes it’s good, and other times it’s painful. There are other moments when the date on the calendar is sort of strange, even surreal. That was my experience this past week. I graduated from seminary thirty years ago. If it were not for my achy knees, there are days when I don’t think I’m much older than thirty. And there are still other moments when my maturity level makes me wonder whether I’m still in my late teens.
When I was first starting ministry, I was introduced to some retired pastors who were part of a Disciple Clergy Group that gathered every month for lunch. During one of those lunches, the conversation around my table turned rather serious. One of the retired ministers began to reflect on his ministry, and he referenced some of the great martyrs of the previous fifty years, many of whom accomplished so much before they even reached the age of forty. He said with some grief in his voice, “I know I helped many people over the years, but there are times when I wonder how much of a difference I really made and whether anything I did was lasting.”
You do not need to be a minister to ask that question about your life. I have sat at the bedside of many people as they found themselves at the end of life, and they too were asking similar questions. Now, it’s not supposed to be some sort of competition or an attempt to make sure our name is remembered in the history books. But I do believe it is a fair question to ask: Have I made a genuine impact upon the world, and has it been for the good? Have my life choices helped to build God’s Kin(g)dom here on earth, even if the impact is only visible to God? Those questions are not intended to make anyone feel guilty, but to challenge how we approach each day and the opportunities presented to us for embodying kindness, compassion, peace-making, just-living, and doing so with an attitude of joyful abundance. If you woke up this morning feeling as if you’ve not lived up to your God-given potential, it is a new day full of many opportunities. Don’t dwell on the past. Instead, live in the moment in such a way that it honors the life Jesus lived.
I desire to learn from the past without living in the past. Holy God, bring me into this moment and the opportunities I have for Christ-like living. There are a multitude of hurting people and unjust systems that cry out for help. I’m certain there are gifts within me for the good work of realizing your dream for all creation, and those gifts need to be put to use today. Amen.
