Dear friends,
Tomorrow, in worship, the choir will sing a joyous, light-hearted anthem entitled “Part of the Family.” With vivid imagery of the diversity of church community, the anthem conveys its message that we are all part of God’s family. The anthem is lively and fun.
The events of these past few weeks remind me that this message has a sobering side. We are part of God’s family, and that means we are connected with everyone who suffers.
We are sisters and brothers with the people who were killed on the Russian airplane that crashed.
We are sisters and brothers with veterans who live with the visible and hidden wounds of war.
We are sisters and brothers with the people killed on Thursday in a suburb of Beirut.
We are sisters and brothers with Jihadi John, although we struggle to know what that means.
We are sisters and brothers with the people of Paris–those who were killed yesterday and those who are grieving and living in fear.
Because we are part of God’s family, we cannot shut ourselves off from the pain of our world. Because we are part of God’s family, our lives are diminished every time a place in our world erupts in violence. Because we are part of God’s family, we are called to grieve with those who grieve.
The grief is overwhelming. The sense of our own vulnerability is overwhelming. How do we live in this troubled world?
This is a question without easy answers. I offer a few thoughts that I hope will point in the direction of answers:
–One congregation member, in an email to me this morning, repeated the words of Rev. Fred Rogers (of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood): “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.’” Among our sisters and brothers are so many people who run into danger to help other people, people who faithfully serve as healers in the aftermath of tragedy, people who work diligently to address the deep-rooted causes of violence. Alongside our grief, we can focus on our gratitude and admiration for all the helpers.
–It is easy to feel powerless in the face of such horrifying events, and in the face of the complexity of the world’s problems. But we are not powerless. We can choose to be among those helpers. Do something today to bring a little peace and healing to our world. It doesn’t have to be big; let it be a small first step.
–The purpose of terrorism is to make us live in fear. Even though we are afraid, we can refuse to allow fear to define our lives. Pray for courage.
May we look to the helpers to find comfort and inspiration.
May we dare to act in hope.
May God bless us with courage.
Peace, Debbie