ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
October 19, 2022
It is attributed to Dolly Parton, and as far as I can find, it seems to be something she actually said – “I never quite understood why we have to let religion and politics and things like that stand in the way of just being good human beings.” I wish I could say she’s exaggerating or using hyperbole. But she is not. Why is it so challenging for some people to be good human beings? I’m not talking about the occasional grumpiness. Everyone is allowed a bad day now and then. I’m talking about some folks who seem to be seeking the gold medal of hatefulness and mean-spiritedness. Religion, and I would suggest even politics, should be done with compassion and humility, always looking out for the most vulnerable. Yet some people seem hellbent on scapegoating and stripping away the rights of others who already feel powerless. What does it mean to be a good human being? What are you going to use to measure success, or at least improvement? Would the life of Jesus be a decent model and a plumb line for determining how one is doing? I think so…
I’m not necessarily seeking to be the perfect human being, but I’m pretty sure being a good human being is within my grasp assuming I lean upon you, my friend Jesus. Amen.
