This afternoon, I wait fairly patiently to see episode seven of the Star Wars movie series. I recall the first one I saw in the movie theater: Return of the Jedi. When the three first episodes of the series was re-released in 1998, I went to see each one. Although they were altered from their previous release, the magic of each episode superseded any technology that was or was not added from the first release. And then in 1999, 2002 and 2005, I went on opening day to see Episodes 1, 2 and 3, respectively.
Today, I’ve been thinking about various scenes in the movies – from Han replying to Leia “I know” when she tells him she loves him to the scene where Luke discovers Leia is his sister to the scenes where Anakin begins to transform to the dark side.
Fortunately, the blood was minimal in each of the first six movies. Faceless Storm Troopers were eliminated here and there, and Han shoots Greedo before we can become invested in the character. (Still not right, Han. We know you shot first.) Yet one scene sticks with me as the most traumatizing: the bodies of Younglings on the floor after Anakin stages a massacre.
In 2005, all we could believe was that this was a movie, an illustration of how someone transforms into an evil being. This is what soaking in fear and anxiety will do to someone who has the potential to allow toxic messages to penetrate their soul.
But it was just a movie… Right?
And then, Sandy Hook happened seven years later.
At the time of Sandy Hook, my nephew was also in first grade. There was one other child with his first name. The image of the Younglings popped into my head. Imagining a scene where bubbly, lively children are no longer alive was too much. Thinking of the tears falling from the eyes of the moms and dads and grandparents and aunts and uncles of the Sandy Hook Younglings was too intense.
It’s still too much to think about…
I don’t want other scenes in movies or real life when Younglings or first graders are massacred. I don’t want to hear of any more shootings or slayings or rapes.
I don’t want to vision a scene where children’s bodies – or any human bodies – are lifeless on the ground. To me, this event was the most sinister of any event that has happened in this country during the course of my life – as much as September 11.
This week, with the anniversary of Sandy Hook and the release of Star Wars episode seven reminds me that scenes like this can happen – that the Force, our agency, can be used to hurt as well as heal.
And so we pray that the Force will be used to love one another, to heal our divisions, to turn our lightsabers, swords and guns into ploughshares and anything else that will help us build and nurture.
In front of my television I sit, ecstatic that a new season of Royal Pains begins again. I soak up the scenes, excited that the story I’ve been following for five years is back on the small screen.
Prior to turning on the television, I watched a few classic episodes of Private Practice. It was season two, and Naomi was running the practice into the ground, Charlotte and Cooper begin to date and Taye Diggs is, well, Taye Diggs.
And then I focus on the smooth taste of peanut butter fudge in my mouth and the Diet Coke bubbles dancing upon my tongue.
I think about all the people and places I could visit. I talk on the phone to the people I love.
And in doing so, for small periods of time, I forget.
We express our concern over current gun laws. We express concern that the entire system is broken – whether it be the legal system protecting domestic violence victims, programs for severely mentally ill people and the way unhealthy people access weapons and ammunition. We voice our concern that our society is violent, obsessed with fear and shoot-’em-up fanatics. We see how people feel entitled because of their privileged race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and we want people to hear how their entitlement is the equivalent of bullying – whether it’s misogyny, homophobia or racism.
But no one listens. Nothing changes.
And 46,000 more people are dead.
So now I return back to binge-watching second season episodes of Private Practice… at least until tomorrow when I regain my resolve and strength to stand up for liberty and justice for all once again.
“O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you ‘Violence!’ and you will not save? ” – – Habakkuk 1:2
After watching the final episode of The Big C last evening, I reflected on how people will sometimes make peace on their deathbeds. ***Spoiler Alert*** In the final hours of her life, Cathy, the main character, makes peace with her father.
I’m not sure how often deathbed reconciliations happen, but the thought of reconciliation must pass through the mind of many hospice patients and those who are estranged from them.
But sometimes we don’t have a time of dying to prepare ourselves to leave from this earth. We don’t have time to tell the dying what they mean to us.
Death happens in an instant.
In light of the most recent tragic tornado in Oklahoma, I notice how more frequently people talk about hugging their children or being kind to strangers. This happened after the Newtown shooting and September 11. I even remember calling an ex-boyfriend after the September 11 tragedy in hopes to bring peace to our severed relationship. The world was turned upside down, and it felt like the right time to reach out to him.
I can’t help but think that reminders of our mortality usually push us into a space of desired peace, kindness and reconciliation. As we are reminded of our inevitable death, we reflect upon the meaning of our lives. Maybe we think we haven’t loved enough or we haven’t tried to bring peace into our relationships. We hold people closer – even the ones who have caused us pain.
And then, as time passes since the last tragedy, we let this sense of reconciliation and peace drift away. We go back to screaming at the car driving to slow ahead of us. We let out sighs of frustration when the person in front of us in the supermarket line has to run back into the store to get another 2-liter of soda. We argue with the ones we love.
Not to be negative, but shouldn’t a sense of mortality become a part of the way we treat our neighbors? Why do we expect that they or we will be around to speak words of love at a future time? Why do we go out of our way to spread kindness to strangers when a tragedy touches our nation, but just go about our business when life flows as usual.
And why do we think there will be some magical time as we are in the process of dying when we can reconcile with our loved ones? What if death happens in the blink of an eye, and we miss the chance to say “I love you.”
How do we want to live our one lifetime? How do we want to live in this moment here and now?
We should pour out the same amount of love for one another whether or not there are shootings, bombings, tornadoes or any other major tragedy nearby, somewhere in our country or across our planet.
After giving it much thought, I think the message of the Good News is being threatened.
Many people are leaving churches and turning their backs on Christianity. Why? Because people who speak on behalf of Jesus the Christ are dismissing the most important part of Christ’s message: Love.
About twenty years ago, I was rejecting Christianity myself. When I was in college, I had experiences that led me to believe that Christianity was the religion of hypocrisy. In the name of Christ, some were misusing their power to control and manipulate others. When visiting churches, people were more concerned about their dress or hobnobbing with friends than greeting others with Christ’s love.
I could not see the presence of God in church or surrounding many Christians.
Fortunately, by my mid-twenties, I began to find the light in the Body of Christ. I found my way back to church and began to see the presence of God in new and exciting ways. There were times I still found doubt in the goodness of Christianity, especially when my beliefs weren’t “good enough” for people. But I knew that spreading the message of Christ’s radical love was more important for me to focus on than negative remarks heading my way.
But not everyone is there.
Many people think that Christianity is the religion of rules and perfect morality. People think we care more about getting into heaven instead of making heaven here on earth. The message of Christ’s radical, enduring love has fallen short because Christians misuse the name of Jesus the Christ to correct and control other people.
And why not? Mahatma Gandhi once stated “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” This is a perfect example of the reputation Christianity now has in the world.
Thinking back to 2012, I remember stories like the exclusion of my friend’s church from a softball league because he identified as bisexual. Rev. James Darnell Semmelroth was the pastor of the church but did not participate in the games. Even though the pastor wasn’t playing, some churches didn’t want to associate with the church in any capacity.
While I am a straight ally, I understand that not everyone is at the place where they agree with gay marriage, ordination, etc. But for the love of LOVE, can’t we put aside our theological differences and eat together, laugh together, even play softball together? Love means crossing boundaries to embrace a person as a child of God, whether or not you agree with them. Jesus ate and associated with all people. He set “rules” aside as he healed people on the Sabbath. To Jesus, love and relationships trump dogmas and fears. By associating with people unlike ourselves, we hear personal narratives and learn to understand each other deeply.
We hear how Westboro Baptist Church wants to protest all sorts of funerals because we’re such a sin-ridden country. In 2012, we heard various clergy blaming LGBT persons/allies for Hurricane Sandy and atheists for the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Do they realize how their hateful words ripples into our world? Do they realize their loud voices are drowning so many voices of love and compassion? Do they really think this is the message of the all-inclusive Christ?
Yes, maybe I’m being judgmental. But I’ll be honest… stories like these may be why many people are turning their back on Christianity. Many of the messages linked to Christianity are not ones of love. The Good News can not be heard. Because of this, many people find no use for Christianity anymore. And I can understand why they’ve reached that conclusion.
So for 2013, I challenge all of us Christians to break the boundaries of love. Let us love radically. If there is someone who you feel like judging, try to talk with them and understand their story. If there is someone who you fear, pray and understand why you may fear them. You do not have to agree with them. But in your love and escaping your comfort zone, you are being a witness to the greatest love of all time: the unconditional love of God that we Christians see in Christ. Let our voices be louder than those of judgment and hate.
I realize that no matter how hard I try, this doesn’t mean I’m not going to mess up or misrepresent Christ now and again. I wouldn’t try to misrepresent Christ’s love on purpose, but I think as humans we all tend to make errors now and again. Sometimes these errors come out of misunderstanding or fear. As a person of the Christian faith, my goal is to continuously find ways to focus on the radical love of Christ. Allowing this steadfast love to trample any fears and to clear misunderstandings will bring us closer as humans.
All I can do as a Christian is keep on trying.
If Jesus, the one who knew God greater than any of us, was able to love outside of the box, then maybe we should give it a try. Because if we call ourselves Christians and do not love, what kind of witness are we to our faith?
Instead of hearing messages of judgment and hate, what if people saw Christians feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, advocating for the voiceless? What if we told people who have been discriminated against, bullied, beaten, blamed and shamed that God loves you just as you are? What if we started a campaign to bring the louder voice of loving Christianity to the world? What if people realized that this is the true Good News of Christianity worth sharing? The worst that can happen is that by January 1, 2014, people will see Christianity being the religion of Christ’s radical love more clearly. If you have any ideas, post below. Let’s go for it!
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.
Last night I was watching one of my favorite new shows: Scandal. Part of the reason I enjoy this show is because it’s fascinating to watch the story line unfold.
There were moments in last night’s episode that left me a little nauseated. When Huck entered the house of the family that he admired, he discovered that the entire family had been fatally shot. This scene was one of the most graphic and intense moments of the series so far.
Even with the intelligent story lines and fantastic acting, the show has a substantial amount of violence. Two weeks ago on Scandal, the President was shot. Others have been killed or tortured in the name of politics.
Sometimes, I wonder why I watch any intense and violent dramas.
Shows about homicide investigations and wars do not usually appeal to me. I like Grey’s Anatomy, a drama where people are healed and sent to live a happier life. Sure, there was violence on the show (at the end of season six), but overall, a message of healing and hope fills the story line. I tend to avoid intensely graphic movies, like Quentin Tarantino films, no matter how technically well they are created.
Yet, even a series about healing can’t avoid scenes of destruction and violence. In fact, violence is in every part of our culture.
Yes, there are times when inferring violence is crucial in telling a story. But sometimes the director creates a very real scene, and death appears to have happened on the screen in front of us.
It’s even hard to avoid violence in church. The Hebrew Bible is filled with violent stories; the writers attributed these acts of violence to God. They also believed they were warriors for God.
Then, we have a cross in front of us. Sometimes the cross has the crucified Jesus, sometimes it doesn’t. The story of the crucifixion is read each year during Holy Week. In many theologies, salvation comes because Jesus was brutally killed since humans are sinners. Additionally, songs like “Onward Christian Soldiers” give a very war-like image of our faith.
Many of our communion tables reflect violence. Each time we eat the body and blood of Christ, are we creating a violent image in the minds of those in the pews?
So books, the Bible, movies, music, theology, news, internet and video games all include violence. It’s a reality that’s all around us. When we allow scene after scene of violence, how can violence not seep into our culture?
In conversations that I have recently had with a friend of mine, we often wonder if people are becoming immune to violence. After the last shooting in Oregon, very little was said. Were we becoming tolerant of the stories heard multiple times this year? What has happened to those who survived the massacre at the Wisconsin Sikh temple in August or the people in the hair salon who experienced trauma in October?
I wonder why all of a sudden that today’s particular shooting in Newtown, CT creates more conversation, even though this type of violence has happened repeatedly in 2012. Has it become part of everyone’s status updates because children were killed? Why aren’t we talking about violence that happen in some neighborhoods each and every day? Do certain stories get attention because we value certain people over others? Weren’t the Sikhs, the workers in Minnesota or the young adults in the movie theater just as valuable and made in God’s image?
We are becoming immune to the stories. The fine line between “pretend” and “real life” violence is fading. As we become more unaffected by violent visions, the ripple effect of violence continues to grow.
There will be people with a variety of views on gun control reading this post. How can we, a diverse culture with a variety of perspectives on guns, come together to reduce gun violence? How can we see that a variety of issues (mental health issues, access to weapons, the economy, being exposed to violent scenes, etc.) have the potential to play into these acts of destruction? How can we work together to avoid casualties like the ones in Newtown?
These are the questions swimming in my head this evening. I am so blessed that I told my niece and nephew that I loved them this afternoon, and I wish I was there to give them a hug.
Gentle God, Great Comforter,
We open our lives to you and each other.
Yet in times like these it’s so very difficult to remain hopeful and trusting.
It’s hard to hear of more and more violent situations.
Our minds and hearts are with those in Newtown, Connecticut today.
Please be with those who have lost a loved one in this shooting.
Heal those who have been injured.
Give comfort to those who experience trauma,
and bring peace to our communities, country and world.
Give strength to those who bring a comforting presence to those hurt.
We are grateful for our families and friends
and ask for your love to surround all of us as we process this news.
May we see the hope, love and peace that is to come during this season of Advent.
This afternoon, I wait fairly patiently to see episode seven of the Star Wars movie series. I recall the first one I saw in the movie theater: Return of the Jedi. When the three first episodes of the series was re-released in 1998, I went to see each one. Although they were altered from their previous release, the magic of each episode superseded any technology that was or was not added from the first release. And then in 1999, 2002 and 2005, I went on opening day to see Episodes 1, 2 and 3, respectively.
