Of Light and Darkness

Sermon
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church - Montclair, NJ
December 16, 2012 - In the aftermath of the CT school massacre
Third Sunday of Advent - Year C
1st Reading - Zephaniah 3:14-20
Psalm - Canticle 9
2nd Reading - Philippians 4:4-7
Gospel - Luke 3:7-18

May God’s words alone be spoken, may God’s words alone be heard.  Amen.

During Superstorm Sandy, having fumbled in the dark for something with which to light a candle, I stood back in wonder at the amazing light that this single candle provided - the way it seemed to cut through the darkness and the cold, and how, when more were lit from it, the room came alive again.

We are once again plunged into darkness, a darkness of the soul.  The tragic loss of 26 people, including 20 children in Connecticut on Friday has left us stunned, our hearts in pain, amidst the lights and festivities of this season, the whole thing seems macabe - like a strange and horrible nightmare.  And in this darkness we fumble around for explainations.  We cry out for understanding, we ache in our hearts, we are weary with grief.

So many questions, and the easy answers elude us - they seem cheap, hollow.  Because - the truth is, there is no explaination - no answer that makes it all better, that makes it all comprehendable. 
 
And so, we are a people walking in darkness - a darkness of our hearts as we take in all that has happened.  It is a darkness that has been a part of humanity since the beginning of time.  A darkness that is always there, ready to envelop us - and as we have seen, it tragically permeates the soul of those who are deeply troubled.  The result is a spreading of that darkness to others, and a sense of hopelessness.
 
And we can wonder - where is God in the midst of this dark world?  Where is God in this tragedy, in this senseless loss. 
 
Amid the many responses flowing from the news, was a quote from a source beloved by children for decades, and perhaps we all need a bit of Mr. Rogers and his neighborhood at times like this.  Fred Rogers, a Presbyterian minister best known for his television show, “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood,” once said, "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers.  You will always find people who are helping."  To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world."
 
You see, God isn’t absent when these things happen - but more present than can be imagined.  God grieves alongside us, and is the love that that is the candlelight that sustains us amid the darkness.  And God is found in the love that we offer to one another, and to those most affected.  It is the life that grows out of death - the light that overcomes darkness.
 
Into the darkness of this world, God entered and is entering.  Christ was not born into a world of light, but one filled with darkness.  Candles are not necessary in a fully lighted room.  Max Lucado, a writer and pastor, in response to Friday’s events, said it this way in a letter to God:
 
Dear God,
 
Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas. But you were born in the dark, right?  You came at night.  The shepherds were nightshift workers.  The Wise Men followed a star.  Your first cries were heard in the shadows.  To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame.  It was dark. Dark with Herod's jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence....
 
Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day.  Won't you enter ours?  We are weary of bloodshed.  We, like the wise men, are looking for a star.  We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger...
 
This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.”  

It is because we live in a world where darkness is ever present, ever possible, that Christ came, that Christ is, and that Christ will come again. 
 
We as a people of light - as the Body of Christ alive in the world today - are called to shine forth our light in the world.  To live as Christ lived, bringing people into the fullness of the light of God’s love.  Because God loved us enough to enter the darkness, to live among us as the light of life, we know that death and darkness never has the last word - we know the power of resurrection - that life grows out of death, and light overcomes darkness. 
 
So, as those around John the Baptist asked in our Gospel lesson, what are we to do?  What are we to do in the face of such horror? 
 
Grieve as Jesus grieved for Lazarus, as God grieves for those lost on Friday.  And respond, as God did in sending Christ into the darkness of the world.  Be the light of Christ in the world today.  The light of Christ that we await in Advent, and celebrate at Christmas, because we know it will always come - it is a light that is never extinguished - that no darkness can overtake fully.  Do as John the Baptist implores us and be the “helpers” that Fred Roger’s mom spoke about - the ones who respond with healing in a broken world.
 
As a single candle of hope, we have much light to give the world, but like those candles that cut through the darkness and cold in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, when we work together, as a people called by God to love and serve, united as the Body of Christ, we spread the light of Christ far and wide.   Let us reach out to one another in love, and spread that light, so that those living on the margins, those living in darkness, may know the healing power of God’s love. 
 
The light of Christ was not extinguished on the cross, but is present here - now - in each of us.  And the hope of God was not extinguished on Friday in an elementary school in Connecticut, but exists within each of us who reach out to those in need, hold the grieving in our arms, and love fiecely in the face of tragedy.
 
We know, as we heard in the reading from Phillipians today, and often as the blessing we receive in our worship, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”  What we experience in Christ, in the light that cuts through darkness, in the fullness of relationship with God, it is a love that truly does surpass all understanding.  It cannot be neatly boxed up into easy answers in the wake of tragedy, or even in the joy of thanksgiving, but is there nontheless, if we open our hearts to it.
 
We await the coming of that light into our darkened world in this season of Advent - a light that was, and is, is to come.  Let us stand united - in the warmth of God’s love - bearing the light of that love into this world - a world in pain, a world in need, a world waiting for hope.
 
Let us shine the light of Jesus Christ. for others to see.  Let us be the light of Christ bringing others into the fullness of relationship with God.  So that together we may, as the Body of Christ alive in the world today, overcome the darkness of our own hearts, and those of others, and spread the light of God’s all inclusive love around the world.  So that those walking in darkness, may see a great light.

Amen.

Is Campus Ministry Worth It?

I just returned from the Episcopal Campus Chaplains Conference and the Global Chaplains Conference in Higher Education.  At both conferences I was able meet with people from campuses large and small who were engaged in vital mission with students, staff and faculty.

It often seems that folks in the larger church equate ministry on a college campus as an extension of youth ministry - thinking that what we do is have pizza once a week with students during a bible study.  Campus ministry may include a few slices of pizza on occasion, but is also far more than that, because college campuses are a diverse and dynamic environment, with all age groups and often with many divergent cultures and world views.   

As campus chaplains, we are engaged in pastoral care, interfaith dialog, worship, justice issues, and so much more.  Our "congregations" include students, staff and faculty of all ages, and often, particularly in the case of students, facing stresses of life away from home or trying to balance work, home and school.  We are able to provide a voice of acceptance and love for those who have been marginalized by the wider church at a time when suicide and substance abuse loom large.  And we engage our students in reflection on faith and their role in the larger society.

All of this we often do on a shoestring budget, which in my own denomination, is in danger of being reduced to $0 at our upcoming General Convention in July.  It seems that campus ministry is considered an expendable mission of the church, and yet we wonder why young adults don't come inside our doors. 

The truth is that this "first contact" on a college campus has rippling effects not only for the student, but for the church.  I have heard story after story of people whose return to church was sparked by a college chaplain, and many of those people are now in vibrant lay and ordained ministries.  

As Christians, we are called to proclaim the gospel.  We are not told it must be within the walls of a church to those who already know the healing power of God's love.  There is no better place for mission and ministry than on college campuses today - a place of great need.  May we continue to show support for this work in the decisions we make within the larger church.  


Peace,
Chaplain Diana

We Must Die

I once was blessed with a visit from a monarch butterfly.  One of its wings was tattered, and as I stood there in a crowd at a summer festival, it took a moment to rest on my chest.  It stayed there for quite awhile, and then it continued on its journey.  I know that this was a message of transformation in my life, and I am often brought back to this memory at this time of year.  Next Sunday, Western Christianity will begin Holy Week, when we experience the death and resurrection of Christ in a most profound and deeply moving way.  But if we were to view death as being something solely related to the body, than we would be missing the point.

In this past Sunday's gospel reading, Jesus says to his disciples, "Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." (John 12:24, NRSV).  As he often does, he is speaking on two levels.  Yes, he is going to be put to death, and in his death, new life will grow.  But there is another death, one that all of us must undergo if we are to truly live our lives as people of God.  We must die to our fear.

Fear is what holds us back from welcoming the stranger.  Fear is what strangles us from speaking out against injustice.  Fear is what binds us in a poverty of spirit that darkens our very soul.  And it is that darkened soul that spews forth acts of violence, both verbal and physical, against others.  It is the breeding ground of ignorance and hate.

Earlier this month, a teenager, Trayvon Martin, was killed.  In the 911 calls, the man who killed him seemed consumed with fear, and even though he was told not to follow Trayvon, he did...and he shot him. 

There is a play touring now called "8" that depicts the courtroom testimony in the account of the Federal District Court trial of Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the case filed to overturn Prop. 8, which eliminated marriage equality in California.  The television cameras were blocked from the original trial after the defendants (those opposing marriage equality) fought to keep them out.  Why?  Because, as is clear when one hears the testimony, what was being put on trial there was fear and hate.

Like the butterfly, who must die to its former life as a caterpillar in order to be born anew with the ability to fly, we must also die.

We must die to our fears in order to live fully into who we are as children of God.  Just as in baptism we die into Christ's death and are re-born into Christ's life, we must die to all that binds us, all that traps us in a life of hate, violence, and anger toward our brothers and sisters on this earth - and for that matter, for all of creation.  We must die to our ignorance, our willingness to look away from the horrors of our actions in the world against other human beings, helpless creatures, the land, the sea, and the air.  

And when we die to the fear, we will be reborn to a life of light and love.  We will see the stranger as our brother or sister, the animals in the world as part of a flock over which we watch, and the earth as a precious gift.  Imagine a world such as that! 

Wishing you all the blessings of a Holy Week that brings you into the fullness of death and the resurrection to come.  May the transformation bring new life to you, that you may fly with the wind!

Chaplain Diana

Conversations With God

The following is from a Lenten Meditation that I wrote for the Episcopal Diocese of Newark - Christian Formation Commission, and I thought I'd share it with all of you.  For more of their work, go to this website:  http://www.dioceseofnewark.org/cfc

I cry aloud to God, I cry aloud to the One who will hear me.
In the day of my trouble I sought after God;  
my hands were stretched out by night and did not tire; 
I refused to be comforted.
I think of God, I am restless; 
I ponder, and my spirit faints.
Psalm 77:1-3 (The St. Helena Psalter)

Reflection:

In this Lenten time it is hoped that we pray and reflect on the cross that is to come and on our lives as Christians.  It is likely that many of us experience what the Psalmist here is describing, a restlessness in prayer - a sense of the conversation being one sided.  Perhaps this stems from our looking at prayer as having a purpose, meaning that it must involve asking or thanking God for something.  Do we always have a purpose when we get together with a friend?  What if we were to look at prayer as a conversation with a friend - the greatest friend of all - our God?  How would that change us?  How would that change our relationship with prayer? 

Today, take a moment to enter into a conversation with God, to spend a moment in stillness, remembering that God is always present, and that we just need to pause for a moment to embrace the divinity that is within and all around us.  And, if you struggle to find a way to center the mind in this way, try repeating a simple prayer like the one below, allowing the rhythm of your breathing and the tempo of your heart to open your soul to God, who is longing to spend quality time with you.


Prayer:

My God, my friend, I am here, be with me.

Wishing you all the blessings of a Holy Lent.

Chaplain Diana

What Do I "Do" For Lent?

Whenever we get to Lent, the question most often pondered is "what do I give up"?  Before we consider this, I think it is important to understand the purpose of Lent.  It is a time of preparation and repentance.  By repentance, it is meant a turning back in mind and heart to God.  By preparation, it was originally a time of preparation for baptism at the Great Vigil of Easter, and now it still can be, but is more a preparation and contemplation on Christ's journey to Jerusalem and the cross, and our own personal relationship with God.

So, back to "what to do"... I don't ascribe to the idea that the only way to observe a Holy Lent is to give up something.  Giving up something has been a way to have us think about what is really important, so it is one way to observe Lent, but one can also give up by giving back.  I offer the following "Top Ten" alternatives for Lent:

1. Buy a can of food every time you go to the grocery store, and at the end of Lent, deliver them all to a local food pantry.
2. Stop using the "F" "B" or "N" word on Facebook.
3. Don't post anything on Facebook that is negative about another human being.
4. Spend fifteen minutes in the morning, and again at night, thanking God for a new day of possibilities, and for another day of living.
5. Give blood, work in a soup kitchen one day, raise money for a charity.
6. Commit to keeping your eyes open to the workings of God in the world each day.
7. Reach out to an elderly family member, or a friend you haven't been in touch with (especially if you parted badly).
8. Get up to see the sunrise, or make it a point to see it set.
9. Do a daily spiritual practice (meditation, prayer, walking).
10. Go on a carbon fast - give up one item each day that contributes to destruction of our environment.  Possibilities are:

• Change a light bulb to a more energy efficient one.
• Cut down on using plastic bags.
• Walk rather than drive.
• Unplug your chargers when not in use.
• Choose a day each week when no electronics will be charged.

Use one of these "top ten"each day, rotate through them, or add a few of your own (and let us know what they are).  Most especially, open your heart each and every day to God, who loves you for all that you are, for all that you have been, and for all that you will grow to be. 



Wishing you all the blessings of a Holy Lent.

Peace,

Chaplain Diana

Being Authentic

There is a viral video out now about Jesus and Religion in which a modern day prophet is saying that he loves Jesus but hates religion.  He makes some valid points about the hypocrisy inherent in those who attend church, but fail to live out the gospel of Christ in the world.  However, he generalizes this to all Christians everywhere, and in using the word "hate" is himself walking in hypocrisy.


There is a point to be made here - we cannot call ourselves Christians on Sunday, and the rest of the week not live out the Gospel of Christ.  Coming to church on Sunday is not enough.  What you put out in the world every day should be authentic to who you are, and if you are a follower of Jesus, it means that you must love God, love your neighbor and love yourself.  

We fail to do this when it is not reflected in our words and our actions.  Hopping onto Facebook and using the B, N or F words, invoking God's name or damnation, or posting snarky remarks about others, is not "walking in love as Christ loved us."  All of what we do is a part of what defines us, and that includes what one posts, tweets, or speaks.  I have heard people say that they can use these demeaning terms for women, people of color, and gay people because they are themselves a member of that group.  That is not acceptable!  Words have meaning, and these terms are ones that have for generations been used to harm, demean, and marginalize. Using them is not showing love for self or neighbor, and certainly not for God.

God is asking us to be prophets in the world, and to do this, we must be authentic to who we are called to be as followers of Christ.  Every word we say, every action we take, must be modeled on loving God, neighbor and self.  This is not to say that we don't make mistakes, that we don't harm another unintentionally.  We are humans, and we will do this.  But we must strive each day to remember that we have a responsibility to love and care for all of God's creation, so that all my fully live into who they are as children of God.  When we do this, we become the authentic prophets God calls us to be, and videos like the one described above will be a thing of the past.

So this week, think before you speak or post, and pray before you act.  Live each day doing and being your best, because you and the world will be better for it.

Blessings,

Chaplain Diana

Resolutions

When making those resolutions this week, remember that all Christ wanted was for us to love our neighbors as ourselves, and love God with all our heart, mind and soul.  Thinness, popularity, money...not on his to-do list.

So, if you are going to make a list of resolutions - make a "things to be list," and include on it - to be kind to friends and strangers and yourself, to be open to new things and ideas, to be a good caretaker of all creation, to be prayerful - not for anything, just to have conversations with God, to be open to the workings of God all around you and the opportunities that are present everywhere for you and the world...you get the idea.

I guarantee you that it will bring you all that you could possibly hope for, in ways not imagined.

Wishing all of you the blessings of the Christmas season, and many joys in the year to come!

Peace,
Chaplain Diana

Magnify!

It has been a few months since I last posted, having allowed the business of seminary and work to consume me.  But thankfully Advent has a way of slowing us down, making us prepare, opening us up to the workings of the Spirit.

This is the time of anticipation and expectancy - of feeling "Adventy" (see my post from last year at this time).  In preparing for a sermon, I have been reading the Magnificat, Mary's joy filled response to the child in her womb.  

"And Mary said, 'My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, who has looked with favor on the lowliness of this servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is God’s name'" (Luke 1:46-49).

Imagine... "My soul magnifies..."

There are moments in our lives when we feel that we cannot possibly contain the joy, perhaps at the birth of a child, or at a wedding.  In fact, I recently attended the wedding of a friend from seminary, and a few of the toasts people made at the reception spoke of the physical changes in the groom that showed everyone who knew him that something had changed in his life.  He was magnifying his love for all the world to see.

Hopefully, we all have a chance to experience that type of feeling at least once in our lives.  And one thing we learn is that, in order to feel it, we have to be open to it.  We have to let go, and allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us.  

Letting go - in the weeks before Christmas?  

     Seriously????  

              YES!  

We must "be" rather than "do."  It is a tall order at this time of year, I know.  So, for those with eyes glazed over from all that lies before them in the weeks to come (and I am including myself in this) - breathe.  Take a few minutes each day to sit quietly, mindfully, and in prayer.  Open your hearts to the workings of the Spirit that is alive all around you. 

And, may the blessings of this Advent season find a home in your heart, that the light of Christ may be kindled anew, and the Spirit may work in you, and through you, for all the world to see.

Peace,

Chaplain Diana

Are we lost in the desert?

I recently traveled down to the southern border of the US as part of a group looking at immigration issues and the impact on people in Arizona and in Mexico.  Walking through the desert in 110 degree heat, and seeing the discarded hopes of those who traveled so far in search of life, opened my eyes, ears, and heart to the effect that our trade and immigration policies have had on our brothers and sisters to the South.  Before I left, I was aware of those in my own community who were trying to help undocumented immigrants, and those who complained about having to "feed all those illegals" in the soup kitchen line.  But when we consider that Abrahamic faiths begin with the story of families that sojourned from one land to another (sometimes in search of food, sometimes at God's command), it is no wonder that we find this in scripture:

"When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The stranger who sojourns with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." Lev. 19:33 - 34, NRSV

The Good Samaritan

Throughout the bible it would seem that there is a clear exhortation to love each other, and most especially to care for the stranger among us.  Perhaps it is because we are all strangers on this planet Earth, as God says in Leviticus, “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; with me you are but aliens and tenants.” (Lev. 25:23, NRSV) And Jesus, in this most beautiful verse from Matthew, makes it clear that we are to care for all of God’s children, not only those we know, or those with whom we have common bonds:

"I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’" Matt. 25:34-40, NRSV

But if the codes of the Hebrew testament, or the words of Jesus, are not enough, perhaps it is best to at least heed the author of Hebrews who cautions, "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." (Heb. 13:2, NRSV)  So whether one is seeking to live a life in obedience to God, or simply hedging their bets, the scriptures are clear - the stranger among us, the immigrant who crosses our borders, is to be welcomed and treated as equals.  So how did we get to this quagmire in the first place - we, a nation of immigrants, and what can the church and we as Christians, do to help?

I am reminded of the writings of the theologians of the Social Gospel movement that began in the late 19th century.  They sought to find relevancy for the church in the modern world - a world caught up in the sea of rapidly expanding industrialization, market panic, and cultural changes.  While we are facing a different social crisis, one of economic collapse, the market panic and cultural clashes still abound.   One of the theologians of this movement, Walter Rauschenbusch, wrote “No social group or organization can claim to be clearly within the kingdom of God which drains others for its own ease, and resists the effort to abate this fundamental evil.”  

With this in mind we can certainly agree that our desire for low costs goods and services cannot come at the expense of our brothers and sisters, whether here, or in other countries.  Safe working conditions and fair wages are not a luxury for Christians, but an imperative if our own theology is informed first and foremost by scripture.  And yet we argue back and forth about NAFTA as though it was some abstract puzzle to be toyed with by economists and politicians.  NAFTA and post-9/11 fear has placed a heavy boot on the necks of our brothers and sisters south of the border, and we must no longer stand idly by and let this happen.  They are walking through harsh desert conditions, risking everything to feed themselves and their families - for a chance at the very things we sometimes take for granted here. No policy that results in that level of desperation, no matter the benefit to others, can be seen as ethical when one considers the imperative to love your neighbor and to treat strangers as you would treat Christ.

Why has it been so difficult for us to act with compassion toward our neighbors to the South?  It is not because we are heartless, but I believe it is because we are so very far removed from the impact of our actions that we cannot easily see the pain we are causing.  I have witnessed time and again the compassion of people who respond to those in need, particularly in the aftermath of disaster.  I have seen those who are economically able make changes in purchasing decisions based upon the desire to improve the lives of workers, or that of animals.  But, our eyes must be opened for our hearts to engage, and it means we need to shorten the supply-chain, or open it up to scrutiny, if we are to be changed by the experiences of the world around us. 

The deaths in the desert, the poor conditions of those living in collonias bordering the maquiladoras, the shackling of detainees in mass deportation proceedings, should challenge us emotionally, intellectually, and theologically, and will if we open our eyes, hearts, ears and minds to it.  If we are to act ethically, we must take the approach that no one can benefit at the expense of another.  We must also look at our own lives, and determine true need, from want.  When we begin to think outside the box into which our governments and corporations have placed us, or into which we have placed ourselves, we can begin to envision new ways of being neighbor in the world - new ways of living into our faith.

The view of the world from above shows no boundaries, no countries, no borders.  These are of humankind not of God.  We created the physical, emotional and spiritual walls that divide us, and we can break them down.  We must break them down so that we may stand face to face with our brothers and sisters on this Earth, our common sojourners.  And, when we do, and we look into their eyes, may we remember that we are commanded by God to love the stranger, and care for them.  We are taught by Jesus to love our neighbor as we love God and ourselves.  Neighbor is not defined as those who look, think, or act as we do.  May we also remember our heritage as citizens of this melting pot we call the United States of America. Save those who can be called Native American, we are a people of migrants.  We are the children of those searching for the very things the migrants of today long for in their march across the desert landscape.  And may we pray together that our country should always live into these immortal words:

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"




Teeming shore - harsh desert land - it is all the same.

No Mas Muertas!


In Peace,

Chaplain Diana

On Resurrection

In our darkest hours, in our deepest despair, there follows a dawn that is made ever brighter, ever more warm upon our faces, ever more glorious in our souls, for having walked through the long and difficult night. We are alive, dancing in the light, joyous in the life that is stronger than death. We are, once again.

Wishing you all the blessings of the journey through the week that changed the world.  May you experience the reflection of this moment, and the joy of Easter in your heart, and all around you.

Peace,

Chaplain Diana

Transfiguring Lent

I love the season of Lent.  I did not grow up with it really.  But, in becoming an Episcopalian, I grew to love this time of walking in the wilderness.  So often it is thought of as a time of giving up things, but that is not the purpose.  It is a spiritual journey of reflection.  A time when we hopefully allow for still moments to listen to the workings of the Spirit in our lives.  And yes, that can include giving up something so that we can come to see what is really important. But, taking on a spiritual practice, taking on a new way of doing things, can in many ways be a better way to fully embrace the Lenten experience.

Nearly at the start of this season, we are faced with the multiplicity of disasters that have impacted our brothers and sisters in Japan, and those still moments I find are filled with the images of the devastation.  My heart rejoices at the news of survivors, and weeps at the rising numbers of those who lost their lives.  And I am inspired by the stories of former enemies praying and providing relief.

It is an unfortunate part of our society today that there are some who would, in the midst of these events, seek to find a way to blame the victims, usually inferring it is God's judgment upon them, as though God is filled with the same prejudices they embody on Earth. 

God's judgment.  Really?

I was preaching a sermon at the Church of the Redeemer in Morristown, NJ on the Sunday before Lent.  The Gospel reading for the day was Matthew 17:1-9, the story of the transfiguration of Jesus, and I think that it is fitting that the transfiguration is the story told before Lent begins.  During the sermon, I brought forward these words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a wonderful leader in our Anglican Communion. “All over this magnificent world God calls us to extend [the] kingdom of shalom-peace and wholeness — of justice, of goodness, of compassion, of caring, of sharing, of laughter, of joy, of reconciliation.  God is transfiguring the world right this very moment through us because God believes in us and because God loves us.  What can separate us from the love of God?  Nothing. Absolutely nothing.  And as we share God's love with our brothers and sisters, God's other children, there is no tyrant who can resist us, no opposition that cannot be ended, no hunger that cannot be fed, no wound that cannot be healed, no hatred that cannot be turned into love, no dream that cannot be fulfilled.”

Here he is drawing on the words of Paul, who in his letter to the Romans (8:38-39) wrote:  
^"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God..."

The "tyrants" that the Archbishop speaks of are not always the despot heads of state we often envision, but the worst kinds of all - the ones who seek to diminish their brothers and sisters, the very neighbors that Jesus commands us to love.  These tyrants point to those they do not know or understand and accuse them of being sinful.  But sin is that which separates us from feeling God's love.  Actually, some define it as that which separates us from God's love, but I do not believe that is possible.  I believe God's love is always there, all around us, just waiting for us to take it in.  Sin is what keeps us from seeing it and feeling it, and in their hardness of heart for their neighbors, these tyrants have actually hurt themselves as they hurt others.

It is a sad and tragic thing to watch anyone harm themselves, but most especially when their actions harm others as well.  And because there are those who would do just that, we must hear the call of God "to extend [the] kingdom of shalom-peace and wholeness — of justice, of goodness, of compassion, of caring, of sharing, of laughter, of joy, of reconciliation."

We must be the agents of transfiguration for the world.

Because "as we share God's love with our brothers and sisters, God's other children, there is no tyrant who can resist us, no opposition that cannot be ended, no hunger that cannot be fed, no wound that cannot be healed, no hatred that cannot be turned into love, no dream that cannot be fulfilled.”

In this season of Lent, take a moment to open your heart to the love of God that is all around you.  Hear the call of Christ to love yourself, your neighbor, and God.  And be filled with the Spirit to work for change in the world, so that all of God's children may be free and live with dignity.

Wishing you all the blessings of a Holy Lent.

Chaplain Diana

Am I your child too, God?

I wrote the following after despairing for a young woman who said "it doesn't matter to me that God is a he."   

Am I your child too, God?

I hear you are a boy,

but I am not.

I hear you are Father,

but I cannot be.

I hear you are Lord,

but I am told to be a lady.

I hear I am created in your image,

but I do not see it in the mirror.

I hear I am loved by you,

but your Church ignores me.

I am a little girl, God.

Do you hear even me?

Diana Wilcox  ⓒ 2010

Words matter.   The church must see inclusive language - using both female and male terms for the divine, as a matter of justice.  If words didn't matter, than how about we use all female language for the next 2000 years, just to balance things out a bit.  Anyone have an objection?

It can seem odd at first to hear it, but after awhile, it becomes odd to hear the all male language.  I know, because when I first became part of a Christian community that employed inclusive language I was startled to hear "Our Mother, Our Father, who art in heaven..."  But now, whenever I worship elsewhere, the mostly male language is troubling to me, despite the warmth of the congregation and the beauty of the liturgy.

Those opposed to inclusive language like to point to the bible as "proof" that God is Father/He.  Yes, those are the predominate pronouns employed by a patriarchal society attempting to describe their faith experience, but we have evolved since then to understand that women are equal to their male counterparts.  And, as with most justice issues (and this is a justice issue), the bible can be picked apart to justify any position, with unfortunate consequences at times. 

When I asked a group of people how Eve was created they all said "from the rib of Adam." That is one version of the creation story, but in Genesis 1, Adam and Eve were created together.  

"So God created humankind in his image,

   in the image of God he created them;

   male and female he created them." (Gen. 1:27, NRSV)

And in Luke, Jesus uses a female metaphor for God in the doublet of lost sheep and lost coin:

"Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.” (Luke 15:8-9, NRSV)

There are other verses as well, and historians are far more able than I to expound on the many cultures that believed in the divine feminine.  So, it has not always been this way, and it is changing.  But is it changing fast enough?  

We cannot allow ourselves to be more interested in preserving liturgical traditions than in supporting justice for all. 

God cannot be boxed into our language for the divine.  When we try to say that God is only Father, we are trying to limit God.  We are, as Jesus said to Peter "setting [our] mind not on divine things but on human things." (Mark 8:33, see also Matthew)  

But, we are not only attempting to limit God, we are doing damage to our neighbor in the process.  We must break out of this cycle of exclusivity and open our hearts and language to include all of God's children, male and female.  Because, "God created humankind in God's image, in the image of God they were created; male and female God created them." (Gen. 1:27, changed to inclusive language)

So, in the name of all that is holy, in the name of the Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier, let us all open our doors to everyone.  Let us remember that we are all created in God's image.  Let us not allow a human made thing like language deny through silence any of God's beloved children.

It is a matter of justice.  

So this week, try using all female images for God.  And should you feel odd when saying She and Mother, remember how it must feel to never hear a reflection of your identity in God Talk.  Carry that discomfort with you like a pebble in your shoe, and then go out and live into a life of inclusive worship.

It can be done.  It has been done.  

As with any justice issue, it takes a heart open to embracing all of God's children fully, and a willingness to be a little uncomfortable in the process.

Will you hear the call for change?  Somewhere, a little girl like the one talking above is hoping that you do.

Blessings to you all in the year to come.

Chaplain Diana

Feeling "Adventy"

I love this time of year.  Yes, part of it is because of the music and lights, the smell of pine and the excitement of children.  But more than that, it is the feeling of expectancy.  Advent is a time of pregnant anticipation for Christians, when we begin our church year, and await the coming of Jesus.  Hope seems to spring eternal in the glow of Advent candles and hymns that lift up prayers of "Come thou long expected Jesus" and "Come, O Come Emmanuel."  


Why?  What fills our hearts so full that we cannot help but smile?  I suspect that it is the hope found in the birth of a poor child who came to show us a new way of being in relationship with ourselves, our community, and with God.  In the darkness of winter, we are given a light that shines within our hearts, a truth that is inescapable - that we are beloved, so much so, that God wanted to be incarnate in Jesus to be in direct relationship with us.  


So many lament the commercialism that erupts during this season, but I don't mind in the least.  Retail stores in this economy are hurting, and that means jobs.  But more than that, there is something magical about the music and decorations that seem to fill the world, if only for a little while, with a sense that there is more to life than cubicles, pagers, grades, or promotions.  We become children again, gathering to watch a silly animated Rudolph on TV, or wearing a santa hat to the office.  It is though for a moment we are able to step into one of those snow globes, to a different time or place.  We reconnect with people through cards and calls, wish each other blessings, and even seem to step lighter.  


Yes, there are pressures we place on ourselves, but it need not be that way.  It is not the fault of retail stores, or Santa Claus, or any other commercial expression of the season if we find ourselves stressed.  It is within each of us to say "no" to all of that, and "yes" to the warmth and joy.  This is most difficult for those in distress, lonely, or who are grieving the loss of someone dear to them.  This pain must be acknowledged and honored.  But for any of you who are feeling this way, know that you are not alone, and that there are many who care for you, most especially The One who chose to be born into this world so that we might know that we are loved - all of us, and most especially those on the margins and those who are spiritually and emotionally wounded.


At this time of year, we are being asked to prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus into our lives, for the incarnation of God among us.  So how do we do this?  We open our hearts, and let the feeling of anticipation overtake us.  Like a child waiting for Santa Claus, we stop and look around, waiting in hope.  We don't try to tell others how to embrace this time, but instead open our hearts so that we can embrace it ourselves.  We become Mary, the Godbearer, the chosen, awaiting the new birth.  We look at others as bearers of God too.  Remembering the words of Mary "My soul doth magnify the Lord," we are to allow our souls to do the same, and to see God magnified in the souls of all others.  


And slowly, day by day, we live into the moment when God entered this world as a poor child.  


So go out and be Adventy!  Live into the moment, and await the coming of Christ.


Blessings,
Chaplain Diana

Do We Exist?

A student interjected the following a few weeks ago during a group discussion: "If a person is alone on an island, with no one else around, do they exist?  Can we exist outside of relationship with another?"  It is moments like this that make me thankful to be a chaplain, because I am in awe of the insight that I have experienced coming from these students.

He asks a great question.  What would be your answer to it?

For me, relationship is essential to life, but relationship with what or whom, and what kind of relationship?  It brings to mind this passage from the Gospel of Matthew:

‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ He said to him, ‘ “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:36-40, NRSV)

Jesus is telling us that the most important thing we should do, the foundation for everything else, is love God, love ourselves and love our neighbors.  We are to be in relationship with one another and with God.  Jesus himself is the very presence of God trying to be in direct relationship with us - no matter the cost, it was that important.

And, it is not just relationship,  but right relationship that is essential.  

We are to treat ourselves and each other as we would God.  Imagine the possibilities if we did!  Domestic violence, hate crimes, war - none of it would exist if we looked at one another and saw the face of God in the eyes that looked back at us.  And there would be no suicides, no cutting, no starvation dieting by young girls, if when we looked in the mirror (or our reflection from the sea) we saw the face of God staring back.  

So, back to the question my student posed.  "If a person is alone on an island, with no one else around, do they exist?  Can we exist outside of relationship with another?"  

You see, we are never truly alone on a desert island.  God, and all of God's creation, is always with us, and in us. We are always in relationship with ourselves, and with God, even if we have no neighbor with whom to share that love.  

If we can open our hearts to this, if we can truly see God in all of creation, if we not only read and hear the words of Jesus, but live them out, imagine what the world could be like!  

Just imagine.

And now that you have imagined it, let's go and live it!

Blessings,
Chaplain Diana

The Legacy of Tyler For the World and the Church

It has taken me some time to move to a place where I could write about the events of the past several weeks, and the tragic loss of young lives.  There are no words to describe the spiritual pain of those driven to suicide, nor that of those left behind mourning them.  It seemed any attempt to write about it would never do justice to what has become a growing injustice in our society - and perhaps that is fitting.  But, I know that another reason I could not respond was that I was just too angry and too saddened to find the words.

What has happened to us?

I will leave it to the sociologists and psychologists to scientifically explain why one person would mistreat another person, or an animal, or why that seems to be escalating in the last several decades.  I am much more interested in saying what I feel needs to be said everyday by everyone.

GOD LOVES EVERYONE!

Every person is our brother or sister.  The Tyler Clementi's of this world, and yes, the Dharun Ravi's and Molly Wei's.  Everyone.  We have a responsibility to not only live this message, but to work to ensure that all children feel it in their souls.

We must address both the bullying, and the suicides that follow.  We cannot turn our backs and say that "my child would never do such a thing" because all children are our responsibility as a society.  But even more, the church bears responsibility for its complicity in this system of oppression against gay children.  The message cannot be "love the sinner, hate the sin." Implicit in that is a condemnation of those who were created by God to love those of the same sex.  The church must stop the squabbling over scriptural interpretation and stand up for all the world to hear shouting "all of humanity is a creation of God, and as such, is good and loved by God, and fully welcomed at the table."  Period!

Any person who feels a need to marginalize another is feeling marginalized themselves.  The cycle builds on itself, and we must stop this carousel of inhumanity and say "NO MORE!"  Whenever a part of God's creation is harmed, we are all diminished.

And to all those who might believe that suicide or murder is an answer to the bullying - STOP!  You are loved beyond words.  You have a life waiting for you that is filled with possibilities, and experiences beyond your imagination.  We want to know you as you grow along your journey.  You matter to us, and to God.  You are not alone.  Nothing can ever separate you from the love of God.  If you are thinking about suicide, please contact this number immediately and they will assist you:

NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE:
1-800-273-TALK (English), 1-888-628-9454 (Spanish)

All of us must do whatever we can to pay attention, to be the ones to stand up against injustice, to stop our busy lives to listen to the silence of one who struggles to speak who they are, and to see in everyone we meet the face of God hungering for our recognition.

Whenever we face a tragedy, we hear the words "Never Again."  This time, let's make them more than just words.

God's Peace,
Chaplain Diana