Great and Wonderful Aliens: A Lenten Reflection

"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-tossed to me; I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" Emma Lazarus

             So it isn’t located on an island mid-way between New Jersey and New York. It wasn’t a gift by a nation that longed for and admired the freedom of the United States. There is not a ‘lamp beside the golden door’, but there are ‘yearning hearts longing to be free from the wretched conditions of their former land.’ In Genesis, the land of Goshen was the destination of a ‘tired, poor majority yearning to be free.’ Here is a homeless family tempest tossed’ seeking to be free. The goodwill of their land had dried up and their families and their livestock were seeking shelter from a ‘wretched’ condition and so they found their way to a better land – a golden door that invited them to live freely in an alien land. The wretched refuse found their way to Goshen and sought entrance into the land, “We have come to reside as aliens in the land; for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks because the famine is severe in the land of Canaan.” Genesis 47:4.

            This family, Joseph’s family, found their way to Goshen and the only vetting process was a simple question: “What is your occupation?” The response was, “Your servants are shepherds, as our ancestors were.” Genesis 47:3. The Pharaoh did not sign an executive order restricting their travel. There were no armed guards to meet them at the entrance and no wall to keep the alien – the foreigners from the ‘golden door’, the land of Goshen. Instead of mandates, limitations, and rules, the Pharaoh said only this: “Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land; let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know that there are capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.” Genesis 47:6. “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…” Proverbs reminds us: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:8-9 Great and wonderful aliens are we.

            It was no place for widow whose only male children had died in the midst of a famine. Upon the death of their husbands a mother and daughter-in-law set out to return to another country. Naomi, the mother, and Ruth the daughter-in-law were in ‘wretched way’. Their future in the land of their husbands looked more frightening every day. Together they set out to a land where they were welcomed – ‘send these the homeless, tempest-tossed to me…’ Naomi would set out to a place in the country of Moab where the ‘Lord considered his people and gave them food.’ Ruth 1:6

            When they arrived in the land of Moab there was a man named Boaz who said to the hungry, lonely women, traveling in a foreign land, “Come here, and eat some this bread, and dip your morsel in the sour wine.” The scripture goes on to say, “…They ate until they were satisfied and there was even some left over.” Ruth 2:14 Then Boaz instructed his employees, “Let her glean even among the standing sheaves, and do not reproach her. You must also pull out some handfuls for her from the bundles, and leave them for her to glean, and do not rebuke her…” Ruth 2:15-16. Do not ask questions to determine her immigration status and do not revoke her ‘green card’. Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the right of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Great and wonderful aliens are we.

            It happened. He issued his mandate to his soldiers and  officers, “…kill the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who are two years old and under…” Matthew 2:16. “Give me your tired, poor and your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…” The scripture says, “When the magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up!’, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search the child and kill him. He got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt…” Matthew 2:13-14a. Egypt received the holy family like the lamp beside the golden door…” at one timed received the ‘alien, the foreigner, and the stranger.’ Great and wonderful aliens are we.

            As Christians, we find ourselves at a critical crossroad. A crossroad that demands of us resolve, strength, and courage to stand with the ‘foreigner, the stranger, and the alien.’ The scriptures make it clear what we are to do with the stranger among us. In fact our own Savior and his family were once refugees in search of food, shelter, and security. Our call is clear. We must stand in solidarity with ‘the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses yearning to breathe free…”   We stand as ones whose own families were, at one time, refugees or immigrants to these shores. Today, we must stand with the ‘homeless and the tempest tossed’ to be what we have always been, a lamp beside the golden door – a place where there are no strangers, no aliens, no immigrant, or refugee. Instead, let us stand as one people to welcome all who yearn to be free. For we do not know when the 'lamp may go out for us.'

            

Flickering lamp beside the golden door

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.

These words challenge me in these days. As I reflect upon such beautiful poetry, I am drawn to the prophet Isaiah and his words used by Jesus in his first sermon. It was a sermon he preached in his home-temple shortly after his return from his wilderness. While he was in the wilderness, he witnessed first-hand the deceptive power of Satan. With words and the stroke of pen, Satan could compromise the human condition and our relationship with the God of peace and justice – the God of grace and righteousness. Remember with me the words from Jesus’ first sermon.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

Because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

And recovery of sight to blind,

To let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the

Lord’s favor. Luke 4:18-21

As I read and reflect on this significant sermon in the history and tradition of our faith, I can begin to understand that our faith is not one of words, but of action. As I read these words, I am reminded of the value and importance of each person along our ‘teeming shores.’ When I read and re-read these words, I am reminded of a more recent prophet, Martin Luther King, Jr. who said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.” The things that Jesus spoke about in his opening sermon are consistent throughout his life and his ministry. He took to heart one of the fundamental tenants of Jewish faith, “For the Lord your God is awesome…the Lord that is great and mighty executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. Therefore, you shall also love the stranger for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” Deuteronomy 10:18, 19.Jesus preached about the things that matter. He, like Martin Luther King, Jr. understood the interconnection of our human family and the ‘tie that binds’ us to the God who created us, loves us, and longs for us to see the ‘huddled masses, yearning to be free.’ Jesus spoke about the wretched, the sick, the alien and the stranger and welcomed them. Jesus invited the prisoner and the captive to share in the beauty and gifts of the world that his Father/Mother created for all to enjoy. This mattered to Jesus.

This poem is a gift to America from Emma Lazarus.   These words are inscribed on the pedestal of Lady Liberty, a light in the darkness, given to America by France. I don’t know much about the poet, but her words are words of welcome to the alien, the stranger, the wretched, the poor, and the tired, and those who long to be free. At one time, the world believed that there was something fundamentally beautiful and inviting about our ‘teeming shores’. However, in recent days there has been a flurry of activity that betrays our greatest values as a nation. In recent days, our faith convictions are being challenged and ‘the lamp beside the golden door’ is barely flickering and the promise of Lady Liberty to all the world have become empty words – a nice poem with no conviction -- another broken promise of the ages.

 Martin Luther King, Jr. once wrote, “We must learn to live together as brothers [and sisters] or perish together as fools.” Today, Lady Liberty stands as a ‘fool’ in the harbor of New York. If we believe that what has come to past to be normal and acceptable then we are the ones whom Jesus is speaking about when he angrily cries out, “…You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to hell?” Matthew 23:33. Jesus says, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.” Are we hiding our light as a nation and a people under a bushel? Are we letting ‘few in numbers’ to blow out our flame? Have we become so complacent that we cannot shine nor will we speak? Is this what we have become?  Today, the ‘lamp beside the golden door’ is barely burning, and I wonder who will speak to the pending darkness.

 

Light Convergence

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1:5. This passage from John ends many Christmas Eve services as we light our candles in the darkness and the lights of many candles breaks through the gathering darkness, and with amazing detail, we see faces and colors that moments ago were blurred by the gray and black shadows of a deep Christmas Eve night. 

Just days before Christmas Eve Candlelight Services, the pagans, druids, northern lands, and other secular people commemorated nature’s ‘longest night’, the Winter Solstice. It is that time of year when the sun completes its longest journey south and begins its steady climb to the north lands where  the long dark days welcome the lengthening of the days north of the equator.

When Christians around the world celebrate the birth Jesus Christ – ‘the light that shines in our darkness…’ the annual Jewish Festival of Hanukah also begins.  This is the first time since 1978 that this Jewish festival overlaps with the Christian celebration of Christmas. It won't happen again until 2027. Just as we talk about baby Jesus – the light of the world born on Christmas Eve night, the Jewish faith  celebrates the gift, the miracle, and the beauty of ‘light’. 

Like a moth, we too are drawn to light. For some moths, unlike our humanity, light can be a fatal attraction. Where some moths will exhaust themselves fluttering around the light, light gives the human spirit, encouragement, vision, and hope. Light energizes us. We are people who love and deeply enjoy the miracle of light. The longer the daylight, the happier we are.  Some of us may know people who are affected by ‘seasonal depression’.  At this time of year those who are affected by this illness begin their mornings with ‘light therapy’. Such therapy requires the person to spend time under a special light that simulates the sunshine so that they can function as healthier, happier individuals throughout the day. We love light.

In the midst of the longest, darkest nights of the year, the people of the North celebrate light. As Christians we have a season we call Epiphany.Epiphany begins with the coming of the three Kings on January 6^th and continues through the long, dark days of January and February. For the Church this is a time of revelation, manifestation of God in Jesus Christ. It is a time of ‘illumination’ when we discover who Jesus is because of God’s intervention in our darkness. 

Illumination, epiphany, is one of the central aspects of our faith in which Christians see truth. Paul writes, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9. He says in Ephesians 1:18 ‘…to open the eyes of our hearts…”   As Christians in the more progressive sense of the Christian faith, the ‘truth that is revealed’ and it is a season that promises that even in dark times we can see something different, something even brighter, something more powerful than the illusion of greatness that defines our nation and our our understanding of what is 'great.' 

As I reflect upon darkness and light, I am recalling so many wonderful Advent, Christmas carols and special songs that are sung in the season of Epiphany that celebrate light as a metaphor for Jesus our Savior. Although Savior language has had a strong tradition in the Christian faith and so often sounds cliche, I look at this time of year as a reminder of my role as a twenty-first century Christian. It isn't about me being saved for that promise is already manifest in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For me today,  savior language is not what our world needs to hear. What the world needs to hear is the 'hope' that manifests itself in the action of believers who follow the way of Christ. 

In the midst of our political turmoil, our anxiety about a Trump presidency, and a Cabinet that has no good news for the very people who cast their vote for Trump, the Church must birth the light of Christ -- the light of Hanukah -- the gathering light of the Winter Solstice and be 'hope' in real, tangible, relevant and meaningful ways for a desperate and despairing people. I am not sure what that means or what that looks like, but I am confident that God will make known to my heart and the hearts of thousands, perhaps millions of people when it is time to act. I believe the Spirit will inform us when our greatest intentions and our greatest aspirations must become the 'now!' The absence of light in this time of year compels us to grow the light of peace and justice, love and hope, and to believe that the impossible is possible. This is the convergence of light. 

 As the song-writer, Edmund H. Sears wrote so beautifully in his poem, “It Came upon the Midnight Clear”. He writes: “For lo! The days are hastening on, by prophet bards foretold, when with the ever circling years comes round the age of gold, when peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendors fling, and the whole world give back the song which now the angels sing.” May our spirits be equally inclined to join in the message of prophets and bards and believe that peace is possible even in these dark days. May the light of this season converge upon the world and may we  be that light!

Election Day Lamet

A week ago I was awakened by red and blue fireworks outside my bedroom window. There was music in the streets and cars zoomed by my home, honking their horns. The Chicago Cubs had won the World Series. I remember my eyes burning with tears of joy, disbelief, and I remembered my father’s loyal chant, “…there’s always next year.” It was a game for the generations and one that will long be remembered by the long-suffering fans of the Chicago Cubs. My tears were for the many who faithfully longed for this incredible day.

Tonight, I am still awake in the early hours of the day and my eyes still burn with tears, but they are not  tears of joy tonight, but tears of despair. Tonight America sold its soul to the devil, and we elected a man who was running as President to stroke his sick ego. We voted for a man who has no respect for minorities, women, or any religion. We voted for a man who represents everything I dislike, perhaps despise, about America and whose personal behavior is contrary to the values of the Christian faith that I have given my life and service for nearly 30 years. My heart is broken, my hope dashed, and my good-will challenged. In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, I am awake seeking to understand what has happened and what this means for me, the people I love, and a nation that has sold out to snake oil , empty promises, blustery noise, and insipid behavior that has no place in a nation called to be a light to the world. Tonight we are an embarrassment to the world.

Words cannot express what I am feeling this night. My heart longs for a way out of this national nightmare that betrays my spirit. I grieve for myself and I grieve for our once energized young people who believed in Bernie Sanders, and in the spirit of unity followed Bernie’s lead and gave their best support to Hillary. I grieve for the many women in our country who were looking forward to a bright, capable, and reasonable woman to be our president of the United States. I grieve for the Muslims and the Hispanics who will live their lives fear of deportation, abuse, and unfair treatment. I grieve for our earth home that is suffering under the weight of incredible climate change and needs, more than any time before, the steady hand of leaders who cares deeply about our fragile home. I care about the hard working laborers who blindly believe that Trump will champion their cause. I grieve for the men and women who fought hard for justice and now live in a very real fear that their rights will be taken away with the stroke of a pen. Tonight is a night I never in my wildest dreams expected to live to write about.

I know, deep in my heart, that the result of this election is a clarion call for the Church to be Church. I know what Jesus would do. He would not allow the darkness of this night to change his message of justice for all, unconditional love and grace, and the importance of forgiveness, and he would find a way through the gathering storm. I know deep in my heart that my tears of anguish that I shed this night must be released into deeds and words of actions that defy the evil that has taken place this night. Deep in my heart, I believe that the progressive Church must not recoil from the task before us, but stand together with people of all faiths, nationalities, and cultures to resist the evil of this time. Deep in my heart, I know that I must lead, but for now I must shed the tears of despair and figure out the best way to live as an alien in a strange land. Christ, in your mercy, hear my prayer. 

Holy Space, Holy Family: La Segarde Familia Basilica

We had been traveling throughout Spain for nearly seven days. The tour was glorious, we saw so much beauty, so much history, and so much of the human spirit that was captured in art, architecture, cuisine, and monuments of this proud country. We had visited cities like Toledo, Cordoba, and Seville,  and we saw  ancient cathedrals, churches, basilicas and synagogues that bridged the chasm between the human and the divine. We saw the flamboyance, rhythm,  and ease of Flamenco dancers, and we were taken to heights unknown as we listened to, and appreciated the talent and serenity of Spanish guitar players. There were many joyful and holy moments that endeared us to the land rich in history, rich in culture. 

We arrived in Barcelona and our tour guide took us through the streets of Barcelona talking about how history defined their culture and how the Catholic faith defined their traditions and their belief system. He talked about an architect named Antoni Gaudi who shaped the streets of Barcelona with his unique, and sometimes very strange idea of beauty. As we walked and listened to our guide talk about the life and art of Gaudi,  we soon found our way to La Segarde Familia Basilica -- the Basilica of the Holy Family. We were not going into the building, but he talked to us about the amazing sculptures, windows, and high Gothic spires that represented the gospels, apostles and other significant religious people that have defined the Christian faith.

By now, we were all getting a little weary of yet another church. Certainly in the states and in other places throughout the world, there are any number of Holy Family Basilicas, churches, and cathedrals. There would be paintings, drawing and sculptures depicting the the Holy Family, Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus. Maybe they would be in cave, a stable or an open creche. Perhaps there would be shepherds, kings, or angels, but the focus would be on the Holy Family. Did I really want to see this? How would it be different than other buildings dedicated to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? Instead of being a place inclusive of all families, it would be a Holy place for only Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus. This is what I imagined as we walked around this amazing architectural wonder that was started in 1882 and is not scheduled to be completed before the year 2026. It is still a structure in process and becoming what Gaudi imagined decades earlier. 

The next day after the local tour, I paid the fees to tour inside of the basilica. When I entered the structure,  I was drawn by the beauty of the sunlight shining through the carefully planned and crafted stain glass windows. It was as if the colors of the sunrise or sunset were breaking through a dark wood, encircling our spirits and drawing us into God's grandeur and splendor. The pillars like the trees of the forest would protect us from harm. Surprisingly, the altar, the worship fixtures, and decorations within the sanctuary were not grandiose or ostentatious, but simple and inviting. No matter where you stood within the confines of the building, you felt as though you belonged. It was more than a sacred space for Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus, it is a place for all people even those who are not particularly religious. This feeling of unity and belonging would be reinforced with the carving  of the Lord's Prayer  rendered in 52 languages on what would be the main door that would welcome the seeker into this holy place. This door would invite all God's people to  enter and find one's own way to praise the living and creating God.It is a sacred place for God's holy family.

Holy Week, Gardens, and Resurrection

It was a mild weekend in late winter, the pea seeds had come to the house earlier in the month. Just the week before our trellises, tomato and pepper supports, and our cucumber trellis had arrived at our home. I was ready for the season of planting and hoping.  With a mild weekend and my eagerness to get out in the soil and prepare the garden for planting, it was hard to contain my spirit. As the morning wore on, I eagerly went about the activity of planting my garden and anticipating that one day the seedlings would break through the soil and lift their tender heads to the shining sun.

As I prepared the earth for planting,  and as I write this blog, I am aware that this is the beginning of Holy Week. The Palm Sunday parade has happened and the plans for Easter morning are already in motion. Special services are planned throughout the community, informing the public that there is something different about this week that is not like other weeks. Holy Week is not a time in the church year that we are necessarily filled with joy and imagination. It is a quieter, more personal time of thoughtful reflection. It is a time when Christians reflect upon the life of Jesus and how  his life and his message shapes us and motivates us to live more in line with his teachings. Holy Week reminds us that the Christian faith is not a faith of convenience and endless joy; rather it is a daily struggle to do what is right, what is good and what is faithful. This time in the life of the Christian church puts the ups and downs of life in perspective and prepares our spirits to receive the amazing grace of Easter morning. Holy Week is a time of darkness, but one that opens, slowly to the light of what is yet to come. 

As I think about Holy Week and the seeds I planted in the garden this weekend, I am reminded that seeds, like you and me, are 'lenting' for a time. Like a gardener prepares the soil for the incoming seed, so do we use this time to prepare our own soil -- our own souls for the spiritual seeds that have been planted within us since the day of our baptism.  Just as seeds must rest for a time in the warmth and darkness of the soil, so must our own spirits rest for a time in the darkness of this week. One day the pea seeds that I have so carefully planted will break through the earth and receive the light of the new day, their roots bathed in the warmth of the spring rain. Even as the storm clouds gather and we find ourselves running for cover, we know that the storm will pass and the dawning of a new day will one wash over us, revive our souls, and like a planted seed will open to the morning sun. In this way, so will our spirits rise up and embrace the rising son. 

In our end is our beginning

Matthew writes, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come; see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message to you." Matthew 28:5-7.

 May this holy time of 'lenting' be a time of spiritual and personal growth, and in time, may your spirit awaken to the new life that is within you. Yes, it is Holy Week and our souls are not rejoicing today, but just on the other side of Golgotha there is a place called Galilee. Go there and you will see the beginning of a new day!

My Table is Full

The first snow of the winter has already fallen.   For many this a painful and difficult time. It is getting darker sooner and the days are shorter. The sun struggles to break through the dark, gray clouds of winter time. The cold winds that are blowing across the land,  remind us that winter has arrived.  It is that time of year when our spirits are challenged by the blustery winds of the north lands.  It is no accident that  the Christian Church remembers the birth of Jesus in this season. It is at the darkest, coldest time of year when baby Jesus is born and the angels proclaim to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11. 

As I reread this beautiful portion of the Christmas story, I am reminded of Luke’s particular theological perspective. It is as though God wanted the poorest, the marginal, and the most oppressed people to be the first witnesses to the birth of Jesus.  The shepherds were not the educated class of people nor were they considered skilled laborers.  Many of the shepherds in this time were  women and children. In this culture the women and children were considered marginal and avoided by the male population. However, there is a freshness about Luke's report. It would be the marginal, the rejected and the avoided who would be first to see the Messiah and it would not the privileged, the brightest, or the best who would be the ones  to receive the news of Jesus’ birth. God has a way of turning our world and our expectations upside down.

My table must be full

 In the Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24) we can see clearly,  Luke's preference for the marginal  and the rejected. Recently, several of us were studying this amazing parable when I saw how God continues to work through each of us in ways that really do make a difference in the world. The parable reminds us that God's table must be full before the banquet can begin. When friends and family turned down the invitation, the host sent his servants into the community to invite the town's people to come to the dinner. Many did come, but the host's table was still not full. The host sent his servants out again, telling them to invite the crippled, the rejected, the ill, and the blind to come to the great feast. The host wanted his table full. 

More than food,  an excuse to bring people together, or a close analysis of who was or who wasn't on the guest list, this parable seems to be another affirmation of God's continuing quest to invite more people into God's heavenly realm.  As our group concluded, we agreed that God is more interested in bringing people to the table than pushing them away. This is God's way and this parable reminds us that all are welcome at the table.

We made our way back to the church and along the way and I witnessed the deeper meaning of this parable. On our way home we encountered a homeless man who was bedding down for the night.  As we passed his place of refuge, one in our group offered her leftover dinner to the homeless man.  Without missing a beat, a second member reached into her back pack and pulled out a woolen scarf that she had just completed that day and asked if a  scarf would be helpful on this cold and windy night. He accepted both with humility and grace. As we walked by I said to my fellow sojourners that on this night, God’s table was full. 

 “Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11. This is the Christmas message – this is light in the wilderness where one day, nothing will separate us from one another. Come and rejoice with me on a cold, dark night and feel God's warmth.