December 3, 2024 – Stuff That Needs To Be Said: Essential Words on Life, Death, Faith, Politics, Love, and Giving a Damn

“Don’t imagine that your experience of the world is everyone’s experience of the world. Don’t assume that the ease, comfort, support, and affection you have received are universal. Don’t be preoccupied with how someone experiences God, how they define family, whom they love. Cultivate your faith, family, and marriage alone. In other words, our sacred calling is to be decent, to be kind, to be compassionate, to be whatever it is that we believe this place is lacking: to be the kind of people the world needs—and it definitely needs fewer horrible people these days.” (Pavlovitz, John. Stuff That Needs To Be Said: Essential Words on Life, Death, Faith, Politics, Love, and Giving a Damn (p. 19). John Pavlovitz. Kindle Edition.)

Where does it begin? Where did the world of being horrible to one another begin? Usually we learn how to treat one another by observing how our family treats one another – and how our schools and courts and government treat one another. I am not so sure that people of our society are so accepting of anything deemed new – whether it is a new politician, a new way to worship, a new teacher, or a new school board. And every time the office of POTUS changes political party, at least 49% of the people in this country suffer from the fear of what comes next. We believe in Democracy—many just do not believe that it works anymore. How the designers of the constitution viewed Democracy, and what it has devolved into (and I believe the number of Amendments to the Constitution and some of the changes they represent confirm my point) shows we have drifted from their initial ideas—as accurate or flawed as they may have been.

Jesus was not living in a Democracy—he was living under an occupying Army and Government that did not understand (nor did they want to understand) their culture or religion. Jesus had witnessed the savagery of this occupying force—the numerous crucifixions, the blood spilled on the steps of the Temple.

The Jews were hoping for someone to come and wipe away the enemies—to completely remove the old—and bring about the new. And Jesus was bringing about something new—but it would require everyone to change their thinking and their viewpoints—both Jews and Gentiles. What Jesus intended Christianity to look like was this:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

People of G-d, when Jesus was teaching these lessons on how to treat one another, he was saying this is how a society should live. I am not so sure this is what our society is trying to live by anymore – and when we demean more than we love, we are not living the Christ-like life.

Pastor Dave

December 2, 2024 — Stuff That Needs To Be Said: Essential Words on Life, Death, Faith, Politics, Love, and Giving a Damn

(Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.” Acts 1:12-14

“I’m starting a new church—the Church of Not Being Horrible. Our mission statement is simply this: Don’t be horrible to people. Don’t treat them as less worthy of love, respect, dignity, joy, and opportunity than you are. Don’t create caricatures of them based on their skin color, their religion, their sexual orientation, the amount of money they have, the circumstances they find themselves in.” (Pavlovitz, John. Stuff That Needs To Be Said: Essential Words on Life, Death, Faith, Politics, Love, and Giving a Damn (p. 18). John Pavlovitz. Kindle Edition.)

Have you noticed how horrible people are to one another? I notice it every day. I see it on the roads, I see it in the news, I hear it on social media. Do you think this is how Jesus wants us to treat one another? Do you think the disciples gathered early in the development of the church and thought to themselves: the only way to grow this church is to be horrible to outsiders? I am very certain they did not – and I am certain Jesus does not want us to be horrible to one another. Jesus wants us to love each other – to be one with each other the way that Jesus and His Father were one.

Now that sounds easy enough, but in truth it is hard to always do what G-d asks of us. G-d has always wanted a covenant with G-d’s people—sort of like a marriage. G-d wants a relationship with each one of us so we can form our relationships with each other within that model of love. But I am also sure that Jesus does not want us to model our relationships upon the movie “The War of the Roses.”

Perhaps we need to stop being horrible to one another – both in our relationships with the “others” in our lives, and within the church as well.

Pastor Dave