ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
November 19, 2022
A funny thing happened on Thursday night. A group of people from many different faith traditions and expressions got together for a service of gratitude. There was no arguing, debating or belittling. There was respect, audible WOWs, laughter, joy and a spirit of humility before the One who exists in and through every human expression of the divine. Oh, I’m sure we could have turned the event into a contentious disagreement on some theological or social point, but there was a deep hunger to be together that seemed to supersede all that might divide us. There was no “I am right and you are wrong” or soft arrogance that assumed supremacy. Instead, there was a true spirit of thankfulness for the beautiful offerings people brought into the space. How different would our world be if our starting place was not what separates us but our common humanity? What if people got together, as we did on Thursday night, and shared stories, poems, music and dance, through which they expressed gratitude? What would happen if, along the way, we discovered an immeasurable number of similarities? I’m not suggesting there would never be another moment of discord, but I feel as if people would meet people. I think about the parable of the Good Samaritan, where toward the end, Jesus asked the lawyer whose question started the whole discussion, “Who was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” And the lawyer said, “The one who showed mercy.” The lawyer would have had a very negative preconceived notion of Samaritans, and the parable Jesus shared would have shocked him to his core. And it almost sounds as if he couldn’t quite bring himself to say “the Samaritan” in his response to the question because he couldn’t imagine a Samaritan showing kindness. It was a story that confronted the lawyer’s prejudice, but how much different would it have been if the lawyer and the Samaritan had a meal together or attended a service of gratitude sitting side by side? It would require some humility and vulnerability, but it is the only way forward for the community, nation and world.
You have provided me with stories and examples that call into question my prejudices and dislikes. Merciful Creator of All, help us to find those spaces where we are able to meet the sacredness of one another. Amen.
