2023: A Year to Belong

But now, God’s Message,

    the God who made you in the first place,

    the One who got you started, Israel:

“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you.

    I’ve called you by your name. You are mine.

When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.

    When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.

When you’re between a rock and a hard place,

    it won’t be a dead end—

Because I am God, your personal God,

Isaiah 43: 1-3

There exists a reality of God that is often submerged under a deluge of personal wants, personal preferences, failures, and a limited vision. “You are mine” is not an ownership phrase; it is a belonging phrase. The bible has many verses that try to point us to our “place of being”. Israel consistently misinterprets this message for their nation, as a unique “national possession” of God and misses the whole point. In the New Testament, the phrase describing us all being “in Him” or “in Christ” appears 180 times. That’s one hundred and eighty times! Paul alone uses the phrase 143 times in his letters.

Humanity has a common need: we all need to belong. It is in our spiritual DNA: Family, clan, group, town, city, and country, all the way to a fan of a particular sports team. It is where most get their identity, both positively and negatively.

Superseding all these human efforts is to belong. God from the beginning of time invites us:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

But who can come unless they seek? And why would anyone seek unless they desire another way? And how could someone long for something new unless what they have is not enough?

On the other hand, what if the one who seeks is also being sought for? What if God’s invitation to come, His call of our name, is more like a shepherd who looks for the ones that are lost? So the Love of the One not only invites but also draws us.

 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.  In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.” Matthew 18: 12-14

He calls our name. We are His. But we live in a world that claims to know us, that claims to have our best in mind. We have seen the empty religion of the masses, creating their own gods, claiming to be the only truth, judging and separating and acting like they have the answer for mankind.

“When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will flee from him because they do not recognize his voice.” John 10: 4-5

Aren’t we also those who have stopped following strangers? Jesus goes on to explain that fake shepherds will continue to come, but he will always be calling everyone to Him because He has a bigger plan in mind:

“I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in as well, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.” John 10:14-16

There will be one flock and one shepherd. You see, we are called, invited, sought for, and found. But for what? That we would become what we were created to become. That we would manifest God’s Love and God’s Life in every way we live. That the drive and passion within us are a result of the Center of our life – a healing, good, joy-filled, honest existence that transcends our fears, our failures, our faults, and our past. That our integrity, our heart, our soul, our mind and our strength demonstrate a united One-ness.

Every year millions of people approach the New Year as a time to reflect and to wish for change. We make our resolutions, often with determination and resoluteness, only to later accept the inevitability that we have failed…again. We try to change our practice and it often doesn’t work.

What if instead of changing particular actions, we change our identity? Most of us have accumulated a list of traits about ourselves that tell what we lack, or what we can’t do. We try to mix into that list some positive traits and successes, but deep down we believe we are lacking or limited in some way.

We have heard the fairy tales of poor and despised children adopted into a noble and kingly family. They grow up in that setting never realizing their true background, and become the heroes and conquerors who vanquish the wrong in the world. Only later do they realize that they came from the most terrible upbringing. They took on a different identity, wholly believed in that identity, and acted from that identity.

Can you recognize that your identity is actually as a family member of the Creator of the Universe? Do you understand that, as a member of His Being-ness, you belong to Him? Can you let go of the lies and underlying beliefs that have convinced you, over many years, that you are a flawed person, prone to failure and to do stupid things that are such an embarrassment you hope that nobody else notices? Are you willing to turn away from all the lies that you have believed about yourself, and to take on your true identity as God’s child?

This New Year’s day, don’t make empty resolutions that try to change what you do. Make a decision about who you want to be. Make a decision based on the Truth – Truth about yourself and Truth about where you belong. Change your underlying beliefs. Then act like it. Lives all over this world remain limited by submission to a set of beliefs, in various forms, that are born in shame, hate, separation, and worthlessness. Come- be a part of the answer to these illusions by living out the Truth and Love that God is our Father. In short, we need healing from “the empty way of life handed down to us from our forefathers”.

Lord God, open my heart to the greatness of your Kingdom

To the unconditional and inextinguishable Love

That you pour out on me and on this earth

Lord God, open my eyes to your reality,

Your Truth,

Your Way

That I would no longer believe the illusions

And resist the calling of my name

To belong,

To BE

Jesus, I want to be a sheep in your flock

Who is not threatened by my identity in you,

As if I would become less.

But instead embrace my roots, my soul, my meaning, and my purpose

That you established and that I chose even before I was born.

Oh Holy Spirit, heal my brokenness,

Purge me of the lies and deception of my Ego, who accuses me day and night

Give me salve for my eyes that I may see myself as you see me

And that I may see others as you see them

Restore my soul and calm my spirit from all its senseless striving

Grant that I may awaken from my unconsciousness of my life

To see, feel, and most of all, to know your heart toward me and all of mankind

I pray that this coming year would teach me a new Way

A healing Way

A truthful Way

A forgiving Way

And an all-consuming Way of Love

That all death and darkness and emptiness leave me

So that I can give to others these Gifts of Hope and Life and Truth.

I am yours.

The Politics of Neither

“Are you for us, or for our enemies?” It is the timeless question of Joshua, asked of the stranger suddenly blocking him with a drawn sword as he prepares to lead Israel against Jericho (Josh. 5:13–14). But the stranger is an angel, commander of the army of the Lord. Joshua’s very question is insignificant. And the answer is, “Neither.” I live in a Bruderhof house called Crossroad Community in Minneapolis. We are looking for those whom Jesus is stirring, and inviting them to live a completely new life. As the political climate has become more tribal and divisive over the last year, we have witnessed the rise of both the passion of the religious and the alienation of those disillusioned with religion. The news incites both sides. Hatred has found residence where respect once dominated. People we meet ask, “Do you identify as a Republican or Democrat?” “Who are you going to vote for?” “Do you support law and order, or Black Lives Matter?” “Fox News or CNN?” Neither.

In this time when our culture has be inundated with an intoxicating potion of religion, politics, and racial injustice, I believe God offers a completely different way. I believe that God is not on our “side.” God is neither Republican nor Democrat, conservative nor liberal; neither Catholic nor Protestant, Muslim nor Hindu nor Buddhist; neither American nor Chinese nor Iranian, nor any kind of label that separates. He is God.

Consider Jesus. He was born into and crucified by a world order that was corrupt, deceptive, criminal, immoral – and that included a religious group who claimed to know God, yet lived in hypocrisy. If there ever was a time when God could clearly declare that he was against the existing government and would lead a political revolution, it was then. Yet Jesus refused the people’s offer to become their king (John 6:15). When asked about taxes, he declared that we should give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s (Matt. 22:16–22). He refused to be trapped by the religious leaders into becoming the Messiah they envisioned and instead unceasingly declared the characteristics of his kingdom. Jesus, the king, revealed to Pilate things that the religious institution refused to accept: “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place” (John 18:36). And Jesus’ followers considered themselves as aliens from another country living on this earth. Peter declared that we only belong to God and that we need to live like aliens and strangers in the world (1 Pet. 2:9–11).

The concept of an embassy – that is, a place where a foreign government is represented and where its laws and constitution rule on a foreign soil – quickly took form in the early church’s theology, daily practice, and politics. Thus “embassies” (churches) were established in every place where the missionaries gathered with believers. While they recognized government as a transitory necessity, their members refused to be a part of any government office, to be judges, to be members of an army, or to judge others as a juror. For them, a completely different mankind was in the making.

These Christians knew that such an up-ending of all strata of society can never be achieved by human power. Their “citizenship is in Heaven” (Phil. 3:20). For these convictions, among others, the early church members were martyred. However, this separation between church and state dissolved when Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in AD 313. As the years passed, to be a Christian even brought with it political opportunity. Christianity’s stand as a citizenship of heaven with its followers aliens and strangers on the earth changed – until the early 1500s and the days of the Reformation.

While most “reformers” of the 1500s did not seek to break with the Holy Roman Empire, but preferred to change some of its practices, the Anabaptists declared a complete break from the practical union of the church and government powers. The Anabaptists radically rejected the power and position of church elites in a worldly government over believers in Jesus Christ. They sought to recover the passion and conviction of the early church and to affirm Jesus Christ as their true and trustworthy leader, their authority in all things. For the Anabaptists, the worldly government had an essential role in the organization of earthly society and the control of worldly chaos. They respected that role, but differentiated it from the role of those who follow Jesus. For them, the phrase “Holy Empire” was an oxymoron. As recorded in William R. Estep’s The Anabaptist Story, the Bern Disputation of 1538 declared:

“We grant that in the non-Christian world state authorities have a legitimate place, to keep order, to punish the evil, and protect the good. But we as Christians live according to the Gospel and our only authority and Lord is Jesus Christ. Christians consequently do not use the sword, which is worldly. . . (258)”

Therefore, the Anabaptists’ most threatening belief was not simply the rejection of infant baptism’s validity. They touched a very sensitive nerve when they rejected the underlying belief of the Holy Roman Empire that world governments should be under the authority of the religious elite. They saw God’s love as the greatest power to genuinely change mankind, as opposed to government coercion. They taught that each person must voluntarily surrender his life freely to Jesus, turn away from the ways of the world and participate in a church life that is filled with the foundational truths of the Gospels and the New Testament. For this, like their early church fellows, they received the hatred and fury of both the religious leaders (Catholic and Protestant) and the political governments who sought to annihilate them in the most gruesome of religious cleansings.

Today America is facing one of the most divisive periods of our history since the Civil War. As a child of a middle-class family in western New York state, I grew up following the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War protests. The rise of secularism and the lack of a relevant religious response led me to become a passionate atheist. Issues like war, abortion, child abuse, homosexuality, and the devolution of the American family all contributed to my anger and hate. Like the fabric of this society that was beginning to rip apart, my personal life was immersed in hate, unforgiveness, and violence until Jesus unexpectedly and undeservedly came to me and invited me to follow him with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength. Forty-six years later I am still trying to live out what that actually means. His call to me was not to join a religion, but to become wholly and completely his. After joining and starting a few communities, formal training in the Bible and church history, and pastoring a Congregational church, my wife and I joined the Bruderhof communities twenty-nine years ago.

Today I find myself in Minneapolis, where racial injustice, ethnic prejudice, political liberalism, and religious conservatism collide with the social needs of homelessness, loneliness, and mental illness, creating a terrible divide. The deep frustration is a breeding ground for inner and outer violence. The killing of George Floyd impacted our city like the waves of energy radiating from a large scale bomb. These waves pushed many to demand change and many others to run to the bulwarks of the status quo. What was once cynicism is now replaced by dogmatism, and hate has become the fuel for this divisive fire. Spurred on by some religious leaders and the corrupt messaging from media and pulpits alike, Christians I have spoken with feel compelled to “take a stand for Jesus” and “change the ungodly direction of this country” through political means. These Christians, joined by millions of others, are convinced that the best way to change the direction of this country is by voting for a political party which will impose godlier ethics and morals. I spoke with a man sincerely convinced that the future of both this country and Christianity, which he proposed to be inextricably linked, depended on Christians rising up and crushing the protesting “heathens.” To him, voting is a moral issue and a Christian responsibility. I have also spoken with protesters at the memorial on the site of Floyd’s killing. One said that he no longer believes Christianity has any legitimate voice for the oppressed. He bemoaned, as he said, the “criminalization and demonization” of being black. I deeply respect these people’s efforts and choices and I also long for change, but I only see the chasm between us Americans widening as hate becomes the norm instead of the exception.

I believe in another way – a way that is not Republican nor Democrat, not right nor left, not conservative nor progressive. Instead of trying to get God on our side, what if we joined his side? I believe we need to re-examine our view of God and discover, with the same awe and passion of those first believers in the New Testament, that the living God has a completely new way for us to live that is not connected to nor dependent upon the political condition of the world. I believe it’s the Holy Spirit’s work to “prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment” and not ours (John 16:8). What if we together sought to become one with Jesus, understanding that we are not of the world any more than he is (John 17:14–19)? What if we took the power of Jesus’ love and life so seriously that, instead of feeling politically responsible, we became personally responsible to Jesus and to each other?

I believe that our role as followers of Jesus demands a radical repositioning of our collective efforts. This moment asks God’s people to realize that even our best efforts are mixed with faulty practices, that the end does not justify the means. A man who meets with us regularly told us of his frustration as he desperately tried to find one political and religious platform that was better than the others. He then remembered a sign over the exit door of a coffee shop where he’d once worked: You might be wrong. The simple statement helped him to realize the need for a completely different platform. We will never find genuine solutions for the deep needs in our world by looking to the same toxic soup from which the problems have arisen. Paul said, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” (2 Cor 10:3–4). Maybe now is the time to see this in a new way.

As we gather with others here in Minneapolis, we find people longing for a genuine and authentic alternative to the culture of power and control and religious rhetoric that claims to be the answer for the deepest needs of our society. We pray for and respect our political leaders in their task. But we have another task. Here in Minneapolis, we prefer to discuss how we can better demonstrate the characteristics of God’s kingdom here on earth rather than engaging in political diatribes mixed with religious overtones. We believe the Gospel is a practical, relevant, and down-to-earth message. What interests us is to be a part of what God is doing among the hearts of men: to forgive and seek forgiveness, to give whatever it takes to love God and all people (including our enemies); to be pure and honest, to share with anyone in need; not to worry about our lives for they are in God’s hands; not to judge others for God is the one judge; not to condemn others or ourselves; to depend daily upon God’s Holy Spirit.

The politics of “neither” recognizes and surrenders to the One who truly knows the way. This is the other way that the angel spoke of to Joshua – before God himself flattened the walls of Jericho. This is the other way that gathers and heals all who want their lives and minds to be transformed. We are only beginning, but I invite you to join us in a truly radical revolution that will point all mankind to answers beyond the current culture’s options. In a binary world of two competing ways, perhaps neither is the place to start.

The Kingdom of God is Within You

Reflections from Sunday meeting (10/4/20)

Have you ever drawn in too close to a campfire and been stung by a stray spark? It’s amazing that such a tiny particle of ash can burn with such heat and light. With one swipe of your glove or quench of your heel, it is smothered. If you had left it there, it would have grown exponentially into a flame, a torch, or perhaps a bonfire of its own.

I believe every person on this earth carries a spark in their heart--a spark of the Kingdom.

As Jesus spoke to the Pharisees in Luke 17:20, “The coming of the Kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘here it is,’ or ‘there it is,’ because the Kingdom of God is within you.”

At our Sunday gathering this week, we had an enlivening discussion around this topic.

At the onset, one person outlined an all too common false narrative. Namely, that accepting Jesus is like joining a club. Members of this club forfeit a few unwanted habits (i.e. swearing) and take on some new habits (i.e. reading the Bible), and they’re in! Upon joining the club, members will be rewarded with some members-only perks, (aka blessings). And best of all, once they’re in, they’re in! They are a card-carrying member of the Kingdom.

This effectively misses the key point of Jesus’ message. If we truly examine and feel the heart of Jesus’ message in Luke 17, the club analogy quickly breaks down. Rather than a static, exclusive, rule-oriented club, Jesus intimates a moving, active Kingdom-presence in everyone, and is as alive in us as we allow Him to be. He’s not interested in seeing us polish up our lives with surface level quick fixes. Rather, He wants us to become alert to the deep seated mindsets and beliefs that create obstacles to his Kingdom.

What obstacles in our lives are smothering this Kingdom spark, and preventing it from bursting into flame? One person pointed out the human tendency to hold on to shame, fear of the future, or grudges, to name a few. Not only do these thoughts reinforce our underlying beliefs of incompetency and unworthiness, they are time consuming occupations that drag us away from the depth of the present moment.

Apathy, un-forgiveness, regret, and pain, are also big contributors to the masks of identity that suffocate our sparks. As one person in our circle pointed out, we can become numb to the conflicts within us, resigned to a constant state of suffering. Meanwhile, the Kingdom waits dormant in our hearts until we have the courage to wake up and get out of our prisons.

Think of the parable of the treasure in the field, for example. It’s likely that many people passed right over the treasure, possibly tripping on it in their hurry. Finally, a man came by who was alert enough to recognize the treasure for what it was, and “When [he] found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” (Matt. 13:44)

Another person pointed out that God’s unconditional love is the only power that can ultimately melt these barriers inhibiting the Kingdom from flaring up. This love is a state of being, void of judgement, empty of fear, and requiring no sacrifice. Love is something we become as we give ourselves to the practical reality of God. When we’re truly singed by the white heat of the Kingdom, the surrendering of

all those obstacles will not be painful but truly liberating. There is a Way of Life and Love available to all of us!

Letter to a Friend

Dear Friend,

I believe that mankind is being asked to be a part of some very important days on this earth – to face the need for decisive action that peels off layer by layer the things that separate us from His Kingdom. That is why we are here in Minneapolis – to point everyone we meet to the reality of the Kingdom of God and to God’s invitation to gather together that we may demonstrate His Life and Love so that others can see. That’s why it is so encouraging to read your letter and hear your very important questions. The fact is that you are being stirred by Jesus to change your life.

Embrace Jesus. ALL of Him! It may sometimes seem that Jesus comes to cut away and prune. Sometimes it seems Jesus comes to hold us closely and heal the pain and infection that riddles our soul. But know this: Jesus Comes! He is not One we can selectively obey. Yet He does not force His Way on anyone. He waits till we are convinced His Way is our only Way. What patient, knowing he is gravely ill, dictates to the Doctor which parts of his body he will allow to be operated on and which parts he refuses to be changed? No, once we understand our condition we find a Doctor we can trust who has our best in mind and say, “Do what you believe is best.”

To trust God, to trust in His Love and Life, with our entire life -- these are the things that many voices in our world try to convince us NOT to do. And these cacophony of seemingly reasonable ideas, “accuse our God day and night”. They accuse Him of not being able to care for us. They accuse Him of having motives to harm and hurt and bring pain. They claim that it is impossible to hear His voice. They claim it is impossible to gather together in true Unity, as Jesus taught us to, with others along this Way. I know these voices, they were once my friends and I lived in misery until Jesus came to me. And they still knock at my door from time to time and must be answered with His Truth. “Trust in God, trust also in Me…Come to me all you labor and are heavy burdened and you will find rest for your souls.” – these are words of Life, Trust in Him with all your heart and don’t lean on your own understanding. He will show you the Way, one step at a time, one layer at a time, because He Loves us.

Interrupted by God

“We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and canceling our plans by sending us people with claims and petitions. We may pass them by, preoccupied with our more important tasks. . . . It is a strange fact that Christians and even ministers frequently consider their work so important and urgent that they will allow nothing to disturb them. They think they are doing God a service in this, but actually they are disdaining God’s “crooked yet straight path.”

 -Dietrich Bonhoeffer  Life Together,

 When I first heard these words read in our last gathering, my immediate reaction was “Wait, stop. Can you please read that again?” And when I went back to read it for myself, all of the other words on the page blurred and I would have to blink, shake my head and read it over again.

It had a jarring effect on my thinking. It forced me to ask myself; What are the “important tasks, plans or work”, that I may be so busy carrying out that I‘m way out on Route 35 cruising along in the fast lane and completely missed the East exit to the road God had marked out?

I began to think of all of my agendas, especially the ones where I sincerely believed that I was “doing God’s work.” It was like mission with an outcome; if I do A and B, then C will happen. I also began to see the things in my life that I wasn’t too keen on having interrupted, because in my eyes, they were working, or were a “good thing”.

 It reminded me of a study I recently heard of that was done at Princeton University in the early 1970’s. Two behavioral scientists who were studying the psychology of prosocial behavior, wanted to examine Why people do good things for others?

They conducted their study among the Theological Seminary Students. The participants were each instructed to prepare a brief talk about the Good Samaritan from the Bible. As many of us are aware, this is a story of how a wounded and beaten traveler lying on the side of the road was negligently avoided by three holy men.

The students were then told to walk to a nearby building to give their sermon. Some were given plenty of time to get there and some were put under a time constraint. Yet to get to the building, the students had to walk through an alley way in which a fellow participant was disguised as a sick man in need of help. Now, the alley way was narrow, only four feet across, so in order not to help this man, a person would have to step over him.

 The results of the study are both shocking and ironic; only 40% of the students actually stopped to help the stranger.

However, these were theology students, who you would expect to have Christian social morals and obligations, and they had been studying the Good Samaritan for the last few days!

 This study proves how often we are so preoccupied with our own agendas, even with the perceived sincerity of carrying out “God’s work” that we may be missing God altogether; His Spirit drowned out by the cacophony of our own noise. I am not proposing that we stop everything we are doing and resort to doing nothing at all, but I have definitely been reevaluating how much time I spend actually listening to God with a quiet heart. This quiet listening has drawn me closer into the light of “being” rather than the frenzy of doing. It’s allowed me to give over my carefully marked out calendar to God and practice presence and faith in each moment life presents.

Prayer

Thoughts from our morning meeting (Sunday July 5th)

Once upon a time their lived a king. He was a cruel man, hard and callous toward his subjects. Every day the dwellers of his kingdom would pound on his door, begging for lower taxes, higher rations, and forgiveness for their debts. The more the people pounded, the more frustrated the king became, until finally, annoyed at their persistence, he would give in, granting their requests.

Is this how we view God? Do we need to petition Him, then hope He’ll respond to our repeated supplications? Is He hesitant and reluctant to pour love out on us, His own children? This God, whose very being is love and truth, how can we hold Him responsible for the pain that so often shakes our world and personal lives?

This week, our household had a lively discussion around prayer, what it means to us and how we view the One we pray to. We discussed the possibility of prayer as communion with God, and less of a conversation. As one person mentioned, we can picture the relationship between a father and son. The son can write a letter to his father, listing his requests and diminishing his devotion to mere consonants and vowels. Or, he can pay a visit to his father, spending time with him as they watch the sunset and share meaningful experiences together. There is so much value in shared presence.

How do we spend our time with God? Do we have the audacity to think we know what is best for our futures, pointing out the problems we would like Him to fix in our far from perfect world? As someone from our circle pointed out, perhaps prayer is a matter of surrendering of our will, and aligning ourselves with God’s. Only then can we be fully effective. Somebody else illustrated the idea that we are like cells in the body; we can in no way understand the body and mind in its entirety. We can only plug in where we are at, supported by our neighboring cells, believing in an ultimate goal and plan.

Another person pointed to the words of Psalm 46 “Be still and know that I am God”. In the posture of stillness King David speaks of, what do we have to say to the God who knows us fully and sees yesterday, today, and all the tomorrows to come? Being present with God drives us to silence.

In reflection:

Through yesterday’s conversation, I was reminded of my own ongoing journey of understanding prayer and finding true connection with God. As a child I latched onto the idea of God as a genie-in-a-bottle, ready to bandage my wounds at my convenience. For example, every night I would pray for my dad to be miraculously cured from the lifelong effects of Club foot. In the morning I would race to the chair where he always sat drinking coffee and listening to the news. Every day I fully expected to see him healed to “normal”. I had the simple faith of a child, yet I was placing my personal expectation on God. My dad still has physical disabilities, yet I understand now that he is exactly as God created him to be.

Praying for my dad’s healing was only one example of the many items on my “grocery list for God”. My prayer list contained a whole stack of bullet points, requests I expected God to fulfill—my way.

I now see how placing specific expectations on God is a recipe for disappointment and failure. Rather than figuratively pounding on His door in hopes of trading my persistence and good works for blessings, I would rather wait outside until it’s quiet. Only then can He open the door and step outside to share the sunset.

Sophi Scholl -A life Lived for a Cause

Sophie Magdalena Scholl (1921-1943)

“The real damage is done by those millions who want to 'survive.' The honest men who just want to be left in peace. Those who don’t want their little lives disturbed by anything bigger than themselves. Those with no sides and no causes. Those who won’t take measure of their own strength, for fear of antagonizing their own weakness. Those who don’t like to make waves—or enemies. Those for whom freedom, honor, truth, and principles are only literature. Those who live small, mate small, die small. It’s the reductionist approach to life: if you keep it small, you’ll keep it under control. If you don’t make any noise, the bogeyman won’t find you. But it’s all an illusion, because they die too, those people who roll up their spirits into tiny little balls so as to be safe. Safe?! From what? Life is always on the edge of death; narrow streets lead to the same place as wide avenues, and a little candle burns itself out just like a flaming torch does. I choose my own way to burn.”
― Sophie Scholl

This was written by my presiding role model, Sophie Scholl. She, along with her brother Hans Scholl and two other members of the White Rose movement, were martyred at the hands of the Nazis under the Hitler regime on February 22, 1943.

Rather than turn a blind eye to the atrocities of the Nazi government, Sophie, along with several other young university students, formed a movement known as the White Rose, thereby risking certain death. Through their boldly veracious writings, they hoped to open people’s eyes to the truth of what was being hidden from the world by a deceitful and corrupt government. Via pamphlets printed on a clandestine press, they distributed these writings throughout neighborhoods and across college campuses.

Their profound belief in their cause: to uncover the Truth--cost them their young lives; Sophie at only 21 years of age. Yet they died for a purpose far beyond themselves, testifying to truth and selfless courage in the face of evil.

I’ve often dreamed of having the audacious courage of Sophie Scholl; of being involved in an underground movement that assists in the dismantling of a corrupt government. However, I’ve come to understand that even if I’m not on the front line in the same way they were, I can participate in the same movement of truth and courage. It may not mean the guillotine as it did for Sophie, but it will cost me my comfort and control. I may not be living under the Nazi regime, but I live in a world of injustice and corruption, ruled by a government with the same propensity for promulgating hate between people, a government in which love and the human spirit often seem of little consequence.

So, are not Sophie Scholl’s words just as pertinent in our society today? How many of us choose the reductionist approach to life? We just want to “survive” or be “left in peace” and “not want our little lives disturbed by anything bigger than ourselves.” We live in a society that caters to our every selfish need and desire, behind a facade of occasional good works. Good works are fine, just so long as certain parts of your life are not disrupted or disturbed. It is tragic to see how many beautiful spirits are—as Sophie put it--shrink-wrapped into tiny, self-isolating balls to keep them “safe” in a society that worships the elusive American Dream.

My words seem small compared to Sophie’s. But I read hers often as a timeless, and timely, witness to the purpose and meaning of life. Her actions leave me with a choice every day of which avenue I choose to walk down, and how I choose to burn.

The Center Cannot Hold

We live in a collage of images and experiences, and there is no singular event or emotion that can come close to a description. The images of George Floyd taking his last breath under Derek Chauvin’s knee unleashed a cacophony of responses from almost everyone in this city, and now across our nation. It would be shallow to describe what is happening as simply anger against the systemic racism of this country, although that is part of the collage. As a city and a nation we have experienced separation on so many levels over the last months: politically over impeachment, medically over a pandemic that is still not harnessed, economically over the impending depression, and racially over the death of George Floyd – and this is only in the first five months of 2020.

In his poem, “The Second Coming,” which was also written in a time of violence and pandemic, W.B. Yeats writes in part:

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the center cannot hold;

We hear from our friends and neighbors a sense of fearful awe. Most don’t know how to respond, and the dread that “the center cannot hold” overshadows the tangible. Something deep within them is being shaken, because it is so far from their lives, which have been predictable and independent. Now, life is far from predictable as helicopter images and news reports shifting back and forth between several groups of rioters glue many to their screens. Our neighbors ask, “So what do you think is going to happen tonight?” Fear fills the void between reality and the familiar that once held people confident. We feel the old assurance of many being shaken. Some react, while many wait to grasp a steering wheel, palming for the gravity that once held them to some center.

From the streets of Minneapolis, it needs to be said that this is a complex story that isn’t captured well in the headlines. First of all, those bent on violence and destruction are a minority, even while claiming media focus. Secondly, protesters here are not only of one color, but express the diversity and the universality of the cry for change. Moreover, the vast majority of protesters are peaceful: grieving, memorial-building people who are determined to promote a systemic change in our culture. And perhaps, most importantly, there are people intentionally rebuilding in the wake of the looters. Several days ago, members of our community drove up to the epicenter of the violence, the Third Precinct Police headquarters, and joined thousands of people with brooms, dustpans, shovels, trash bags, and masks. In quiet and determined opposition, we cleaned up streets and sidewalks, tossing bricks from fallen walls back into the buildings, our actions saying, “Let’s rebuild – not just the horrendous destruction of buildings, but our society as well.” We had hardly started before someone came up to us, offering water and trash bags. Families arrived, neighbors came, even the Lexus drivers joined in. It was a tremendous encouragement and a great show of resilience. It continued all the way down Lake Street, over miles of broken glass and still smoldering fires, but now swept clean.

It seems that we are approaching a historic hour of need for inner direction. People are longing for a way to live that honestly and authentically represents the gospel of Love and Life. Please pray for the people of Minneapolis and St. Paul that the grief and conviction would not turn to hate and violence, but be used by God to heal and change our society. Please pray for our political and religious leaders that courage, wisdom, and truth would prevail. And please pray for our small circle here at the Crossroad Community, that we might be prepared for the coming Great Things of God.

Members of Crossroad join others in cleaning up Lake Street.

Bringing Peace into Focus

I recall voices echoing through my childhood, all drawing on a similar theme: Live in the moment. There was my mom’s constant reminder, “Worry doesn’t help anything!” or my Home Economics teacher who modelled living as if every day was your last. This approach always existed only at the periphery of my life philosophy. Instead, I often found myself living in the nostalgia and regrets of the past, or the imaginary musings and nagging fears of the future. I was safe there. I could manipulate old memories and replay events at my leisure. I could control my own fantasy world. Or could I?

  A few months ago I decided to practice being intentionally present in each moment. I observed that my thoughts, although often harmless in content, were inhibiting me from being fully aware, and thus disengaged from reality.

 I began to understand what drives the greatest masters and athletes. Whether balanced high up on the 14th century scaffolding in the Sistine Chapel, or breaking the tape after clocking a 3:43:13 mile, these great ones know where their ultimate power lies. They know what it is to draw strength and inspiration from the space that lies between past and future.

Whether they realize it or not, I think every person has hobbies or activities they are drawn to because of their natural attraction to connectedness and harmony with the present moment. Cooking, jogging, birdwatching, art, or sports, these activities thrust us from the past and future where our minds are so often preoccupied, and plunge us into the here and now. Here our senses are heightened and ultimately we become aware of the immediate, perceptive of visible and invisible.

  How has being present with each moment impacted my day to day? A few months has only given me a little practice and a slight inkling of the richness of life lived in awareness. But I can say I’m beginning to know the peace that comes with accepting each moment void of worry, anticipation, and regret. A brief walk to the lake, for example, has become an adventure of ever changing bird trills, vibrant flowers, and fascinating architecture, rather than a repetitious onslaught of analysis and interpretation.

Most important, I think, has been the recognition that the person I am with is a completely fresh, unique individual in each moment. If I carry memories, grudges, and assumptions about that person into this new minute, I do them and myself a disservice. I’m blind to the deep peace and love their soul is, albeit often disguised with egoic emotions.

As I began to introduce this new mindset in to practical life, I had a sense the timing was less than arbitrary. I knew life would test me before long. June 3, 2020 confirmed my feelings.

This particular Wednesday found me in the ER, doubled over with severe abdominal pain. The doctor’s cursory prognosis promised anything ranging from a minor infection to widespread cancer. Naturally, my thoughts latched on to the latter possibility, and I braced myself for a few hours of unknown and possibly a lifetime of illness…or premature death?

  “Life is kinder than the thoughts we think about it.” I couldn’t recall where I had just heard these words, but they stumbled around in my mind as a nurse came in to check my vitals, laying a warm blanket over me before she dimmed the lights and left the room.

I was literally alone with my thoughts. Now I had a choice. I could prepare for the worst and be happy with anything less, or I could acknowledge my condition as God’s business and place my future firmly into His hands.

When I chose to keep out of God’s business, I felt an overwhelming peace and trust like I’ve never known. I began to see the medical staff around me as distinctive humans who I could connect with despite the PPE. I started to view my situation through eyes of gratefulness. The 40-minute ambulance ride flew by as I shot the breeze with the good-natured EMTs. The hour long wait time on the gurney opened up as a much needed opportunity for connection with those closest to me. Those “gurney chats” (as we later coined the phrase) italicized the incredible reassurance of God’s presence unpreventable by even the most uncompromising Covid19 precautions.

I’m supremely grateful to the medical staff who deemed my situation worthy of emergency surgery. Within 24 hours I was on the road to home and recovery, and am privileged to have received quality care and a clean bill of health.

In reflection, I marvel at those hours of medical unclarity I underwent, during which I experienced a deep encounter with the reality of God. He knows our pasts and futures, yet He loves us as we are, in each moment. His kingdom is timeless and His love, a gift.

Campfire Song - Thuma Mina

Thuma Mina - a South African Hymn.

“Thuma Mina” translates to Send Me, Lord, in English.

The Lyrics:

Thuma Mina, thuma mina, thuma mina, So mandla.

Send me Jesus, send me Jesus, send me Jesus. Send me Lord.

Guide me Jesus, guide me Jesus, guide me Jesus. guide me Lord.

Lead me Jesus, lead me Jesus, lead me Jesus. Lead me Lord.