This will be a tough week in our country. It is an important week, and it will be hard.
You will need to take care of yourself - as will I.
We will need to remember (and to actually do) the things that keep us grounded, whole, and free to choose how we react to the stuff of our lives. We will need to tend our inner worlds, our souls. We will need to draw near to God, to let go and dwell in the love of God.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we have made certain promises, real commitments. We promise to follow the Way of radical love and justice, of pouring ourselves out for the sake of the other (trusting that we will be filled again by the Spirit of the Living God and our community and by how we have learned to replenish ourselves) — all for the sake of the world God so loves.
We have promised to bear God’s peace and love and power into the world. At this church, we say that promise aloud together each Sunday.
So, here it is. We must do our best to honor everyone we meet. We must not judge. We must pray for anyone who seems to oppose what matters most to us. We must be kind, for this is fruit of the Spirit who dwells within us. We must remember that we are knit together in love as the body of Christ and that we are meant to be good for the world. We must remember to work for justice so that everyone has what they need.
In order to do this, we will need to spend some time alone in prayer, search the scriptures and other writing that is good for our souls. If there is any good thing, think on these things, advised Paul. Vent in your journal. Take a walk with a friend. Take deep, slow breaths. Eat delicious food that is good for your body. Find ways to laugh. Try to get enough sleep. Count the blessings of your life and thank God for them one by one. Hug someone you love for twenty seconds. Be in nature. Just sit with a hot cup of coffee or tea and watch the sun rise. Do what feeds your soul. Enter the peace of Christ.
Each one of us is a body made of stardust and filled with the breath of the Living God. May we live this week knowing this to be true. May we be in awe of the One who holds us all and sustains all that is in every moment. May we delight the Holy One. May we love well.
