“I saw a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” Rev 7:9
In my Lenten Message, I shared that we should be known as the Diocese of the poor, compassionate, merciful, generous, and loving. Going to the poor means proximity, presence, and forming community. We need to be close to them, share in their lives, and in doing so, grow our community of hope and faith. Each of us is poor in some way, whether it is economic, relational, moral, spiritual, physical, or psychological. By being with the poor and building a place of holy hope, we become a church for everyone.
Building community is a poverty the church faces today. We know how to do it, but we don’t. We tend to cloak it in programmatic terms such as growth, evangelism, outreach, ministries, and even coffee hour. Perhaps it is a historical impediment, believing that faith should be private. However, a private faith comes at the expense of community if your relationship with Jesus is not moved beyond the personal. Our relationship with Jesus should inform and propel all our relationships. Transformed to encounter everyone you meet as Christ. It is not hard work, but it is a change of perspective and a new vision. We move from “this is mine” to “this is all of ours.” More importantly, “ours” implies that there are no conditions or divisions.
It begins with relationships. In our family or circle of friends, what are the ways that we know someone deeply? I know when my friends and family are joyful, when they are troubled, when they are sick or in pain, and when they are at peace. I am also angry when they are abused, degraded, marginalized, and ridiculed. For this reason, we must be present with people and know what gives them life and what destroys their lives. The difficulty we will encounter is in following and being like Jesus.
We need to listen. We have lost the sacrament of listening. In society, listening involves formulating our response while the other person is speaking. When we listen, we learn. Everyone has a deeply human and personal story to tell that provides learning. When we learn, we develop understanding and not judgment. With understanding comes compassion and mercy. There, we begin to acquire Jesus’ gaze of mercy. We look at people through grace-filled eyes, and our hearts begin to beat in unison with Jesus.
I have found a simple, imaginative prayer that assists me when I fall into the pattern of judgment. I imagine that person as a young child. I imagine them reaching out in love and protection, the need to be held in the arms of security. At some point, that young innocent child may have been hurt, ignored, abused, ridiculed, or left alone. Something awakens in my heart that I cannot do the same. I must love.
This week, I ask you to reflect on how, at our churches and in our daily interactions, we will show mercy, hope, understanding, generosity, compassion, and forgiveness. To love one another the way God loves us. How can we create places of belonging and build communities of holy hope? How can we look at everyone we meet and see the beauty of humanity? How can we widen the circumference of our hearts and lives?
Then go and find the lost, heal the broken, feed the hungry, release the prisoner, rebuild nations and neighborhoods, all while bringing peace into their lives through the love of Jesus.
There are a lot of good people in the world. You are those people. Let us be different and bring light to the world. The light of Christ.
A better world is possible.
