ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
June 18, 2026
I know that I am not the person who is always on top of the current culture or new thing happening in the world. Music, artists, and the new hip way of saying something are rarely on my radar. And of course, my kid reminds me often that if I use the word ‘hip,’ I am not hip. With that said, I came across a poem by Adam Roa entitled “you are who you’ve been looking for,” and then a TedTalk in which Adam goes a little deeper on the writing of the poem and his own intensive work on self-love. Of course, the poem exploded on social media nearly ten years ago, but Bruce is just coming around to the discovery. In the TedTalk, Adam says:
I didn’t understand the essence of self-love. It’s not a switch. It’s a result. It is the result of how we show up for ourselves each and every day. Self-love is the byproduct of your relationship with yourself.
Adam is absolutely right! We often adopt a quick-fix mindset when it comes to matters that demand the patience of a farmer. Farming is, of course, about consistent day-to-day work, but there is really no finish line. One season ends, but long before it does, a farmer is already diligently preparing for the next season and the one after that. We tend to pay lip service to the idea of a faith journey, acknowledging with our words that time and movement are required, but our daily choices do not reflect our language. Remember, it is not a switch. Instead, as I might put it, it’s building the house in which the switch and light will be found.
You love us, O God who is perfect love. You love us and then invite us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. There are layers and steps and new insights that require us to know you and our neighbor, but equally important, we must know and appreciate ourselves. Thanks for loving us whether we are doing an acceptable job of loving the neighbor or ourselves. Amen.
