I’m sickened by the number of corporations forcing their employees to work today.
Now, I understand that places with medication or gas need to be open for those in need. Some physicians, nurses, firefighters, EMTs, police and mechanics need to work for emergencies. I am grateful for their work. However, I’m not sure our society wants to forego rest and fellowship time to see how cheap we can buy TVs, shoes, various appliances and craft supplies.
Wasn’t that the purpose of post-Thanksgiving Friday (a.k.a. Black Friday – although I’m not entirely comfortable using that term)? Sure, it was odd that the day after Thanksgiving honored
the gods of consumerism. Now that day has crept into the time-slot of Thanksgiving itself. Employees on the bottom of the consumerist food chain have to choose between having a job and spending time with their families.
To me, Thanksgiving (and even Christmas) is time of communal Sabbath. No matter what your nationality or belief structures, no matter how lofty your wealth or the color of your skin, we all had these days off together – to relax and enjoy simplicity.
Back in the day, Sundays were communal Sabbaths. Now, Sundays are the beginning of the consumerism week as we hunt through papers to see what great deals we can find at stores.
When I was a child visiting my grandparents in Canada for Christmas, all stores would be closed on December 26 for Boxing Day, an additional Sabbath and time for loved ones. As I grew older, this day turned into the Americanized December 26: filled malls and widespread sales.
To think we are losing any aspect of a communal Sabbath is heartbreaking. On previous Thanksgivings, most of us have the day off. Now, those who are paid the least are forced to work while the more wealthy of us can chose between resting and shopping.
A number of times, I’ve heard theologian Walter Brueggemann speak about Sabbath as a break from consumerism. He quotes the story in Exodus 5 of Moses asking Pharaoh for a day for the Israelites to have a break from their work so they can honor God together. Of course, Pharaoh then gave the Israelites more work and tougher working conditions because of this request.
The Pharaohs of our consumerist culture are requiring more and more workers to give up our communal Sabbaths. Next year, will stores start their sales at 6pm or 3pm on Thanksgiving? Will Thanksgiving become the new Consumerist Day of the Year? And why must these fall on the backs of the non-rich in our society while the wealthy make their money from those sacrificing their Sabbath day?
That’s the beginning of the questions I asked myself while watching The Fitzgerald Family Christmas. Through this film, Ed Burns gifts us with a heartfelt story and ways we can reflect upon our own lives.
It’s Christmas, and James Fitzgerald has approached his son, Jerry, regarding their upcoming Christmas plans. Jerry and his six siblings have mixed feelings about their father since he deserted the family while they were young. Their mother, Rosie, refuses to invite her ex-husband into her house under any circumstance, especially Christmas.
Inside each member of the Fitzgerald family bubbles feelings of resentment, anger and confusion. When information comes out about their father, some take into account his present circumstances as they process forgiveness.
Through watching this movie, other points of reflection came to mind:
Who are specific people in our lives that we find it difficult to forgive?
Is there a certain time of year when forgiveness is easy?
How long does it take for each one of us to forgive?
How do each of us start the process of forgiveness?
Which member of the Fitzgerald family do we identify with the most when it comes to forgiving someone?
I think there are people in each of our lives that it would be incredibly difficult for us to forgive. As Christians, we are told through Scriptures to forgive. In Matthew 18:21-22, Peter asks Jesus “‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ Jesus says to him ‘not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.'”
As he teaches prayer, Jesus reminds all to ask God to “‘forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12).
Even as Jesus hung on the cross, in physical, emotional and spiritual pain, Luke 23:34 says that he prays “‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.'”
Forgiving others and forgiving ourselves? Easier said than done, Jesus. Easier said than done…
I am familiar that there are friends I still need to fully forgive. The process may have started, but forgiveness isn’t an overnight occurrence. It may have been a quick process for Jesus, but it hasn’t always been for me. And it wasn’t for the Fitzgerald family.
Forgiveness is a journey. Sometimes, we have to start by making a little step – – trying to understand what was going through their lives or seeing them as human. It’s understanding that I would want mercy from my sisters and brothers and God, so why shouldn’t I grant that to another person?
As I think about it, if Judas would have experienced the grace and forgiveness of Jesus, would he had hung himself (Matthew 27)? If we forgive those who have caused us pain, does that release both us and them from the burden of the past? Does it free us to move forward towards the future, unloading the rocks that weigh us down?
Burns’ movie gives us a chance to reflect on our process of forgiveness. It provides us an opportunity to think the anger that continues to fester inside of us. And it gives us the chance to ask others for their forgiveness and make amends where possible.
I preached this sermon on December 24, 2012 at St. Paul United Church of Christ, Old Blue Rock Rd., Cincinnati.
What is love?
When we think about love, we often think about romance, even falling in love. We think about the love that a parent passes along to a child, grandparent to grandchild. Our mind goes to the most-familiar love scenarios: two people falling in love. A marriage ceremony. The birth of a child.
But from what I see from the Divine, God is all about shining love in the least likely places.
Here we are at the stable, a non-conventional place for any child to be born. At this little manger, a new spark of love is born into the world.
If you look at Luke’s account which was just read, in Jesus’ first few hours and days of his life, he was surrounded by love. And not just by his parents, but shepherds appeared adoring the baby. After leaving the stable, Mary and Joseph presented Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem. While they were at the Temple, Simeon and the prophet Anna showered Jesus with love and gave glory to God for the experience of being with Jesus.
I believe this experience with love from the least likely people at the beginning of his life helped Jesus to truly understand the presence of God around him and within each of us. And I believe that his experience with love in the first few days of his life gave Jesus that extra persuasion to preach love. Already born with the spark of the divine within him, Jesus grew in love, knowing that nothing else was greater than loving God, our neighbors and even ourselves.
We just never know who we’re going to interact with in our lives, and how this love will ripple into the world. Through these interactions, Jesus felt love in his earliest days, and, to me, helped him grow in love.
Throughout the ministry of Jesus we see scenes of Jesus bringing compassion to the sick and those deemed unclean by society. We see him having dinner with those who were the outcasts. And they experienced divine, unconditional steadfast love that we see in Jesus. Two thousand years later, the love that was given to Jesus and the love that Jesus gave to so many can still be felt in our world.
But how can we love when someone has hurt us so horrifically?
Earlier this year, a car pulled in front of James Moore, not giving him enough time to stop. He slammed into the car. While he was not at fault in the accident, the driver of the car, Zeke Stepaniak was killed and another passenger injured. James had a heavy heart. Even though it wasn’t his fault, he still felt so much guilt for the accident. Soon after the accident, Zeke’s family, who are from the Colerain township area, contacted James in love. While both families were reeling in anguish, they started praying with one another. And on the day of the funeral, James Moore walked in with the family of Zeke Stepaniak. Through their tragedy, they had adopted each other as family, putting grace and love above anger and hurt.
From this story, we see that love showers us with grace.
Have you seen the film Love Actually? The opening scene begins at Heathrow airport, where people are blissfully meeting their loved ones at the arrivals gate. Then the prime minister states this:
“Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion’s starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don’t see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it’s not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it’s always there – fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge – they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaking suspicion… love actually is all around.”
So love is all around? Love is in those in-between moments? It’s hard to see hope, peace, joy and love after the tragedy happens. The events in Connecticut a couple of weeks ago gave us each a heavy heart. We know some of our sisters and brothers will be dealing with so much pain this Christmas, pain from grieving, depression and conflicts.
Often it’s difficult to see love when so many that we care about are truly hurting.
But then we open our eyes a little more. We look around at what is happening around us. People are sitting with someone who’s ill or grieving. People we don’t even know are praying for us. We see love going beyond races, genders, sexual orientations, religious beliefs, family structures, political views. Love is the universal truth that we as Christians experience in Christ.
Bad things happen in our lives. There’s no way to avoid all suffering in our lifetime. But, again, we meet love in an unlikely place as we walk the horrible road of suffering. Love has the potential to take a very bad situation and make it less painful and lonely. Love is contagious, and once we experience the greatness of love shared with us we can’t help but pass it forward.
From what we often see, love is always present, love is around us during moments of pain and moments of bliss.
From the recent tragedy in Connecticut, journalist Ann Curry tweeted “imagine if everyone could commit to doing one act of kindness for each precious life lost. An act of kindness big or small. Are you in?” The theme #26acts represent many of those whose lives were lost in Newtown. Now people are posting their acts online hoping to influence more and more people to do the same. A seven year old bought coffee for eight people with his own money. Someone else bought books for a child in need. This is how love trickles into the world.
And then the spirit of love keeps nudging people to pay it forward. People are creatively finding ways to bring love and comfort to the lives of their fellow neighbors.
How are we living into this theme of active love? Just yesterday we collected presents for local children in need. We collected food for those at Washington UCC. In the past month, we’ve gone Christmas caroling, took cookies to our neighboring businesses and held a community dinner.
The love of Christ has touched so many hearts in this congregation, and we can not help but pass this along to our neighbors.
From this example, we see that love is not only a feeling but an active part of our lives.
Each little experience with love impacts us. From the time we are young into our later years, each time we meet love somewhere, we experience the presence of God. The more we share that love, the more others see God in their lives.
And that is what God is calling us to do this Christmas and throughout the entire year.
Part of our congregation’s vision statement is Carrying Christ Love to All. Our love a church family is an active part of our faith. To us, love means having open tables and open hearts to all as we are all part of the Body of Christ. Through our church’s vision of mission, nurture, laughter and inclusiveness, we have faith that people in our church and community will experience God. Through our involvement in this community, we pray that others will see the unconditional love of Christ in their midst.
How is God challenging you to love outside of the box today? Maybe it’s extending love to someone who has hurt you. Maybe it’s giving grace to yourself for making a mistake so many months ago. Maybe it’s opening your eyes to a new way of loving. Maybe it’s sharing your love with someone in pain.
Two thousand years ago, from simple beginnings, a baby was born. With that birth came hope, light and love that has rippled into our world. As we go forward, let us remember that love happens in the least likely places and ways and between the least likely people. And today we see this in that least likely place: far away from home, surrounded by animals and strangers in a drafty stable.
Adapted from original posting on here 12/30/10. Inspired by Grey’s Anatomy, season 3, episode 12
Hoping is a communal action.
Dr. Preston Burke says it best in a season 3 episode of Grey’s Anatomy. George O’Malley’s father was diagnosed with advanced cancer. We no longer see “George the doctor” but “George the patient’s son.”
As his father’s body experiences organ failure, George turns to Burke, the cardio surgeon, to discuss father’s health. Preston alludes that George’s father probably won’t be coming back from this. Preston tells George that what he can do is “hope with you.”
Hoping with… what a unique way to show solidarity with those in pain and those grieving. Usually, hope is something that I will do for me and you will do for you. Hoping seems like a very private and internal journey. But what if the journey of hope is intended to be something we do with others? When our hope seems dwindling, what if someone comes along side of us and keeps the hope going?
Hoping with someone has its risks. Maybe it means that we risk our emotions in hoping. We sit in the depths of the ditch with our neighbor, and our heart is with them in that ditch. As their hope becomes our hope, we, too, risk having hope pass us by.
If we identify with the Christian faith, we are undoubtedly in the hope business. We are in the tomb with Christ, hoping for resurrection. We are with the women at the tomb, hoping for a better day.
Hope isn’t just for Easter. At Christmas, hope comes as we wait for the birth of someone who embodied God’s love. Hope comes as we know night will not last forever, and longer days are ahead.
I would like to thank my clergy friends for a discussion topic on Facebook: Black Friday vs. Good Friday.* Because of them and the movement of the Holy Spirit, I couldn’t stop thinking about the special connection between these two Fridays.
My initial thought was that they are complete opposite festivities… one being the day people give their heart and soul for consumerism, the other that someone gave their heart and soul for justice… Wait… Not so fast… I need to get over my Thanksgiving turkey coma before really diving into this topic…
Once my coma wore off and I began to read one or two other comments in the discussion, I realized there were more similarities.
First of all, for those who believe solely in sacrificial atonement may arrive at the conclusion that these two days are complete opposites. As I mentioned earlier, to some people Good Friday is good because they believed Jesus died to save their sins. But not everyone believes that model of atonement.
Many of us believe that Jesus died because of our sins not for our sins. Because of a broken system in which few had great power and many were disposable, Jesus had to stand up as a voice for the voiceless and to give dignity to the unclean. Because of his courage and risk, Jesus was forced to face the cross. Thus, Good Friday is a sad day in which we remember something bad that happened to someone who loved with his whole heart. Good Friday is a gloomy day.
It’s not the only ominous Friday.
I’ve worked in retail. While I’ve worked on Black Friday, I never truly experienced the chaos of a store opening. I have, however, worked full-time in a department store during the weeks before Christmas. I was exhausted. Through this gloomy holiday memory, I experienced the disillusionment of Christmas. While most people darted in and out of stores, some left the negativity which rippled through each of our lives. Christmas was no longer a season of joy and sparkle but a time of dismay under florescent store lights. (Fortunately, I found my resurrection since my retail days by working in non-profits and churches. But I wonder where others find their resurrection while working in bleak midwinter at the mall…)
Thinking back to my retail experience, Black Friday wasn’t the beginning of the festive Christmas Season but a reminder of the somber parts of Holy Week and the despair of Good Friday. Little did I realize that I was in need of resurrection and renewal.
By comparing Black Friday to Good Friday, I see a Christ who is in solidarity with the retail worker. I am reminded of a Jesus who experienced the impact of a broken system. Likewise, those in retail during the holidays experience the same brunt of a broken economic system. I recall the story of Jdimytai Damour, a retail worker who died when opening the doors to Black Friday crowds. Damour was just trying to do his job and earn a paycheck. Instead, he met his demise in the cracks of an unjust and broken system. I think Jesus wanted to be on that cross as much as the Damour wanted to be trampled in a 2008 Walmart stampede.
Both workers and shoppers have been hurt in the name of great sales. And each year it gets bigger. Rarely do people challenge the way the system works. In fact, more sales are desired by the “powers that be.” Hours are expanded. Sales are promoted greater than the prior year. Corporations understand that having a few items that many people want (and couldn’t otherwise afford) will drive people into the stores. Because dignity comes with owning certain items, people will forgo time with their loved ones to make purchases. (I highly recommend reading this article by Diana Butler Bass.) The value of Thanksgiving lessens while the value of Black Friday increases.
The way that I would like to explain how much Black Friday has grown is through this analogy: what if Good Friday was celebrated at the exclusion of Maundy Thursday? What if we stopped celebrating Maundy Thursday, the supper and the words of institution? What if we removed the story of Jesus celebrating Passover with his friends and just focused on his arrest and death? Corporate’s decision to veil Thanksgiving by adding store hours is the equivalent of Jesus being arrested before celebrating Thursday’s Passover meal. It’s hiding the sacredness of our annual meal-sharing. Time specifically set aside to sit at the table, relax and enjoy family, friends and food has now been taken away to worship the almighty dollar and a very broken system.
I find it interesting that both Black Friday and Good Friday arrive after the day of meal-sharing. In Jesus’ time, it was the Passover meal. In our time, we share the Thanksgiving table. Peaks of kindness hover over the food. Prayers given in gratitude for the incredible blessings in our life.
Yet the warmth of the food and love at the Table begins to drift away. In the midst of the night, Jesus begins to experience the chills of abandonment and hate. Workers all around our country travel to work as the moon lurks overhead. As doors open to the whirlwind of coveting hearts, the loving energy of Thanksgiving is drained from the retail workers souls. Rarely does someone find their death at the hands of a broken system like Damour did. However, souls are crushed and spirits begin to die through the exhaustion and heartlessness that a retail worker can experience throughout the holiday season.
When does the resurrection come? For Good Friday, it was the “third” day. They needed to experience only two restless nights and resurrection was experienced.
Yet after our Thanksgiving Thursday and Black Friday, resurrection is rarely seen on the following Sunday. Shoppers still fight the crowds, hoping to find a parking space and getting grumpy when they can’t find what they are looking for. Workers continue to work the expanded hours and feel the ripple effect of negativity.
If we believe that Christ is in solidarity with the retail worker, resurrection is needed. Since it probably won’t come on the Sunday after Black Friday, or for another three to four weeks, some kind of hope is needed in the lives of retail workers.
What does this look like? How can we bring renewal, grace and hope to those working in the retail business?
First of all, we can stand for the dignity of the workers. This may include writing to corporate headquarters to let them know if their employer practices do not seem fair.
Secondly, we can be aware of how we treat the retail workers. They are on their feet five to eight hours per day. Many are making little over minimum wage. On top of all of this, they are encountering lots of shoppers each day, many of whom are grumpy. We can bring smiles and joy to their day and help them see the love of Christ whose birthday we mark with the purchase of these gifts. We can ask them how they are doing and treat them as humans, not servants. Retail workers are God’s children and made in God’s image.
There is very little joy in either Black Friday and Good Friday. Because of greed and selfishness, people hurt. Yet helping people find resurrection sooner rather than later will assist them in finding the presence of God in their midst.
*Special thanks to Désirée Hartson Gold and Chris McArdle
Adapted from original posting on here 12/30/10. Inspired by Grey’s Anatomy, season 3, episode 12
Hoping is a communal action.
Dr. Preston Burke says it best in a season 3 episode of Grey’s Anatomy. George O’Malley’s father was diagnosed with advanced cancer. We no longer see “George the doctor” but “George the patient’s son.”
As his father’s body experiences organ failure, George turns to Burke, the cardio surgeon, to discuss father’s health. Preston alludes that George’s father probably won’t be coming back from this. Preston tells George that what he can do is “hope with you.”
Hoping with… what a unique way to show solidarity with those in pain and those grieving. Usually, hope is something that I will do for me and you will do for you. Hoping seems like a very private and internal journey. But what if the journey of hope is intended to be something we do with others? When our hope seems dwindling, what if someone comes along side of us and keeps the hope going?
Hoping with someone has its risks. Maybe it means that we risk our emotions in hoping. We sit in the depths of the ditch with our neighbor, and our heart is with them in that ditch. As their hope becomes our hope, we, too, risk having hope pass us by.
If we identify with the Christian faith, we are undoubtedly in the hope business. We are in the tomb with Christ, hoping for resurrection. We are with the women at the tomb, hoping for a better day.
Hope isn’t just for Easter. At Christmas, hope comes as we wait for the birth of someone who embodied God’s love. Hope comes as we know night will not last forever, and longer days are ahead.
Call isn’t necessarily something spectacular, like Superman or Batman. Sometimes call is as quiet as the wind breezing past the summer leaves. Sometimes it is the seemingly ordinary when others have grandiose calls.
Take, for instance, George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life. George continues to find himself cemented to his hometown while his brother and others are called in other directions. His brother goes to college, works outside of Bedford Falls, goes to war and becomes a war hero. His friend Sam begins a plastics business. Everyone lives the dreams that George himself could never had. Because of the perspective that George has on his life, he takes for granted the little moments that create the universe.
George’s call is seen in life’s little moments. George saves his brother. George makes loans available to those who couldn’t otherwise afford a house. George gives people ideas. George loves the town and those in the town, willing to maintain an honest business for the good of the people. George’s call is as important as everyone else around him except that the perception of his call is what the world sees as small.
What if George hadn’t answered those calls? We see the outcome in the “what if George wasn’t born” portion of the movie. His brother would have died. The death of his brother rippled into the world. Others would have died because hadn’t served in WWII. His friends would live on the streets. The town would have been bought by Mr. Potter and turned into the slums. George’s mother and wife face the world with angst.
George Bailey was called to be alive and called to serve in Bedford Falls.
Just like George, everyone is called in both unique and ordinary ways. The world would be a very different place if we made different decisions or if we had never been born. Yes, we get frustrated with our lives. We forget that the little steps impact the greater universe. And we get upset with the track our lives are on.
So when we don’t feel that our lives make a difference or that we have a purpose here, know that we are all George Baileys – willing to take the little steps in front of us and building a better kingdom of God.
Michelle L. Torigian 