It's all personal

I have made a consistent point at different times in my ministry. Sometimes it has been blunt, and sometimes it has been more subtle, but when I am told that I am being too political, and it doesn't happen too often, my response is that everything is political. Politics just means that something is about people, and if it isn't about people, then it probably isn't going to come up in a usual sermon.

Lately I have seen some claims that when talking about people in the church, including in the areas in which people are qualified to serve, those claims can be made on an intellectual and theological basis. In other words, it's nothing personal, I'm just saying what I think, or what God thinks (as if anyone knows this for certain).

My response to that is similar to the response about politics. If it's about people, it's personal. Now, it may not seem personal to the speaker, because the speaker is talking about a community to which he or she does not belong. But speak to people from that community about the words spoken, and it will quickly become apparent that those words feel awfully personal.

I am a fan of NPR, and I was saddened this week to hear that long time newswoman, Cokie Roberts, passed away. I heard an excerpt of a story in which one of her colleagues mentioned that women were granted the right to vote on such and such date, and she cut in to say that women weren't granted the right to vote by some benevolent white male force, they were already American citizens. They won the fight to be able to vote legally.

That was a seemingly innocuous phrase, and one that is used all the time--"granted the right to vote"--but to Roberts that language was personal. And she was right.

How many human rights violations have been perpetrated because something wasn't personal, it was "just the way it is?" Slavery based on racism, Jim Crow laws, laws that subjugate women, the "science" of Eugenics, all based on claims of truth given by people appealing to tradition, to science, and to religion.

We have to stop reducing people down to their ethnicity or their religion or their sexuality or their age or whatever when we talk about others. Each person is an individual. Each person is precious in the sight of God. Each person deserves respect. Each person deserves to be heard. Talking about people as if they are impersonal objects like tables or computers isn't giving people the dignity they deserve. And don't ever believe that rejection of a person isn't personal. It may be wrapped up in quasi intellectual or theological speech, but it is very personal. Every time.

That's my view today.

Getting Excited

Maybe it's just the circles I have run in, especially the world of academics, that gives me this impression, but I have found that it doesn't seem very "cool" to get excited over something. I don't mean getting excited in an angry or pessimistic way. That is totally cool. What I mean is getting excited because you are joyful about the present and future of something.

It seems that the moment someone gets excited about something, there is someone nearby to temper that enthusiasm, either with negative words about whatever it is, or a joking sarcasm that somehow the person has gone over the top. I think this happens in the world of music a lot, when someone discovers a new band or a new song and when they share it with someone else, that person downplays the goodness of the music. Maybe they even make fun of the first person because they have gone overboard. I have been on both sides of this. My apologies to early Justin Bieber fans.

I find that this happens so much that we are almost afraid to get excited about something. It's probably a defense mechanism, but if we are excited about something going on in our lives, maybe a new project that we are working on, maybe a new relationship in our lives, we almost automatically downplay our excitement when we tell someone else about it. It is probably fear of ridicule that causes us to do this.

But this robs us of our chances to be really happy about things in our lives. What a joy it is to find something new and enjoy it and not worry about how other people might react. What a joy it is to work toward something and see some fruit of your labor and just be happy in the moment that you reflect on what you've done.

And what a joy it is to just be happy about where you are! There's no shame in being excited about your life, your home, your church. There's no reason to fear being thought "uncool" because you are too enthusiastic about something you love. There is no joy in pretending that you don't really like whatever it is as much as you do so you won't seem weird or naive. This doesn't mean to willingly ignore the junk of life, but don't be ashamed of being happy in your work, your place, your church, your life.

If we need anything, we need more joy in the world. We need to give ourselves and others permission to just be excited about something we love or enjoy. Just be happy about it.

That's my view today...

Some days are tumblier than others...

Years ago I served a church as music director, and the secretary of the church thought that Christopher Warren sounded a lot like Christopher Robin, so that's what she called me. One day I came in and had a gift from her that was a mug with several of the characters from the classic Milne stories about Winnie the Pooh rolling around in the grass. The caption underneath the scene was "Some days are tumblier than others."

I have been reflecting on this saying this past week. Some days are tumblier than others, and some days are a lot something else-er than others. Maybe you have had a particularly something-er day recently.

Some days are harder than others. Some days are exciting-er than others. Some days are sadder than others. Some days are boring-er than others. And yes, at almost 45 years old, some days are tumblier than others.

As I say often in the church, when I am preaching, much of what I say is because I need to hear it. So please know that I need to hear this as much or maybe more than anyone.

Every day is something-er than others. Within that statement is an important implication. Other days are less whatever than that day. In fact, most days are less whatever than that day. If you have had a bad day, a bad time, some days are badder than others. But that means most days are gooder (better) than those bad days.

So, when things are rough and tumble and scary and frustrating, remember that some days are rougher and tumblier and scarier and frustrating-er than others. But the other days are coming where things will be better-er.

I pray this gives you (and me) hope for those bad times which come in every life.

That's the view today.