Blog:FOREST LAKE TALKS

As we turn our hearts and minds to the July 4th holiday, I want to make a plea. Many of us are worried about the conflict and polarization in our nation, and the rising tide of tolerance for hate and violence. Our nation is a gift given to us by the generations who came before us, and who weathered worse times than ours. This congregation has given me a deep respect for the WWII veterans and families who – in an age that didn’t allow instantaneous communication – were separated for years without any communication except an occasional letter. And I am old enough to remember the deep divisions in our country over Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other armed conflicts. I am mindful that my experience does NOT include putting my life on the line for my country in a far land, and returning to be vilified or spat upon by those who had no idea of the moral injury and trauma of war. I am also old enough to recognize that trauma of all sorts carries a generational echo and is a large part of the conflict in our families and in our nation. Hurt people, hurt people – as the saying goes.

None of us know what the future holds. And each of us has influence over a very small scope. But each of us is in charge of how we show up. It is up to us to practice our faith and seek God’s healing and powerful presence. We need to ask ourselves, “Are we seeking God on a daily basis?” Do we really want to serve God? Every day is another opportunity to submit to the lordship of Jesus Christ. But that lordship means that we must give up our hate, anger and selfishness, and invest in the causes of reconciliation, peace-making, justice and love. We cannot do it by ourselves, but if WE don’t practice our faith today, we will not be ready when the time comes for us to stand up for love, rather than sit and allow hate to consume us.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “You were called to freedom, . . . only don’t let this freedom be an opportunity to indulge your selfish impulses, but serve each other through love. All the Law has been fulfilled in a single statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour each other, be careful that you don’t get eaten up by each other!” (Galatians 5:13-15) I think I am seeing a lot of biting and devouring going on. You?

To honor all of the sacrifices that were and are being given in the service of our nation, what if we showed up to listen to each other, to agree to disagree where needed while still looking out for the common good? What if we listened to someone who does live on the margins of our society? Scripture says that the nations are judged by how we treat the widow, the orphan and the alien, and whether we feed the hungry and clothe the naked. To have a great nation means everyone needs to count, and we have the ability to speak, act, and live in ways that value everyone – even those we disagree with. Celebrate the founding of the nation we love by showing up as Christ shows up.