My dear friends, we live in a very divided time.
I am a United Church of Canada minister that loves my vocation - my calling.I love everything about it.I get a front-row seat to a very subversive revolution that is stirring up dialogue in the world.
There are many bloggers who love to tell the church what she is doing wrong; there are many bloggers who share all the struggles they have faced in the church; there are many bloggers who just simply hate the church...
I just want to simply apologize that there are church people whose lives do not reflect the selflessness of Jesus.
The church is currently the strongest it has ever been.The news media says the church is dying in North America because people are becoming more secular - the church has heard this story before.Others speak of how wealth becomes a distraction from practicing the true faith.But I submit that the church is the strongest it has ever been.
The church is at its strongest because it continues to send people to go see the sick and the dying when nobody else will.The church is at its strongest because it truly has no idea what the future holds - many in the church like to carve out a niche by telling us - but most of the church acknowledges that it cannot predict the future...
We live in a divided society.
Liberals don't talk to conservatives.
Old people don't talk to young people...unless they are related.
The wealthy don't speak to the poor...unless the poor are servants in the households of the rich.
Everybody dreams of revolutions...yet the local Cub Scouts cannot get enough volunteers to take a bunch of young boys on a camping trips.
We live in a divided society.
Christians stereotype atheists and atheists dismiss the story about God as a "fairy tale" and create new religions like the "Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster".
Yet the whole dialogue is about meta-narrative.
We never talk about the fact that Martin Luther King Jr. was first and foremost a preacher.Apparently it's embarrassing that faith would lead somebody to better society.In my read of the current age we can only speak of religion as evil - because it's a nice soundbyte, and many people like easy answers.
We live in a divided society.
I have no interest in defending what the white man calls "religion".I am a Jesus-loving free Black man.I say what I feel needs to be said; I rely on the Holy Spirit; I try to listen to the wisdom of others as best as I can (I fail often); I try to be empathetic and compassionate (I fail often)...
I guess I am beating around the bush here.
What I wanted to say at the beginning of this post is that everybody wants a revolution but nobody wants to do the dishes.
I am a Jesus-loving free Black man who does not give a rat's behind about the culture wars between Fred Phelps, Rick Warren, and Richard Dawkins.What I am passionate about is the building up of humankind.I have learned throughout my life that I am not compassionate or empathetic enough (and when I think I am that I need to pray for more empathy and more compassion).
One of the things I am most passionate about is the youth drop-in centre I was able to found in collaboration with a secular organization in central Alberta.One day each week of the school year kids are welcome to join us for a variety of activities - gardening, soapstone carving, video games, break-dancing, movies, parties, Zumba, field trips, carolling, etc.Our church and FCSS (Family & Community Support Services) simply wanted to build up humanity, and so we pooled our resources and did all we could to give kids (especially those with space in their planners) an opportunity to do something that would expand their horizons at least weekly and after school.
Despite the cultural wars regarding the usefulness of Christian faith in society today, I felt blessed to focus on "washing the dishes" metaphorically.
When we asked kids why they like "Legends" (which is what they called the drop-in centre) they said:
"fun, see friends, make new friends""we have fun, play lots of games, have snacks, make new friends, I like the leaders""it's a great place where I can come and have fun.I can forget about my stress"
The statement "If Legends didn't exist I would be doing..." garnered the following responses:
"Go to my room and play solitaire""Bored, be at the babysitter""Playing video games.It would be sad.I would not like it.It would be bad if no Legends.""Nothing, I would be bored."
To the statement "I have gained new skills through Legends, and they are..." kids responded saying:
"New, just started, heard about Legends from kids in the community.""Be more polite, how to use humour in times of frustration, be more active.""Dancing, being a good friend, treat others how you want to be treated""How to deal better with bullies, new games""Games, new art stuff, how to grow my imagination, how to work together, new friends"
And when we stated "Legends has given me the opportunity to try some things I wouldn't normally have tried.Some of the things I have tried are..."
"Soapstone, I look forward to coming next year if there is Legends.I think its cool that it does not cost my family lots of money""Visiting the fire station, being able to get into the community hall (I always wondered what it looks like on the inside)""Bird-feeders, soapstone, Zumba, breakdancing, pizza night, door-to-door Christmas carolling""Visiting Bentley Care Centre, gardening, visiting fire station, town cleanup""I've learned how to help people calm down""Learned that adults care...I want to come next year"
These are responses to programs that the sacred and secular worlds had to collaborate on.
I don't have time to be fighting with my brother or sister.That is the bottom line.As a student of Jesus, I am not perfect, but I know I am simply to have love for anyone whose path crosses mine, no matter the circumstance.I pray that others would have the same deeply held respect for me.
I just have to say it.I love the world we live in.I hope we can work together to make it even better!
:D
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