We are looking forward to seeing you at our next events:
- Neighbors’ Hot Dog and S’mores Picnic on July 21st 12-3pm.
- Next Death Cafe on Saturday July 27th at 4pm.
- INC Pot Luck Picnic on July 28th at 1pm.
- Village Fair and UnFair 5K on August 17th (please register and order t-shirts by July 17th).
Most important thing on this journey of life is a good pair of shoes and a walking stick. The rest is gifted through love and kindness.
You may watch the Recording HERE; apologies that the video is audio only.
I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to mention the volatile nature of our world right now. One where it seems as if anger and rage and retribution are our only logical options. Where it feels like to keep ourselves safe, we need to fire back (in our cases, that’s usually in the form of social media memes, but I’m sure some are building up their literal arsenal). We feel we need to put up walls to “keep the crazy out” and “to keep our loved ones safe”. We feel we need to arm ourselves against attack in this scary, scary world.
It feels like the world, and our nation, is falling to pieces. At the same time that our planet seems to be screaming for help. Some of us are beginning to wonder “if we’re going to make it”.
Perhaps, this is comforting, perhaps not, but every stage is history is full of violence, division, and discord. Every stage. When we look at “the good old days”, there was violence and division, most include terrible, terrible wars and slaughters. This isn’t new. We’re just very good at glossing over “the bad stuff” when we want to.
One of the alternate passages for this week talks about the beheading of John the Baptist and the violent, political mess that was. John’s head was served on a platter and it was political. John the Baptist was severely critical of Herod. Herod wanted him silenced.
Violence and division is nothing new. It’s what we do with it that matters. How we meet it that matters. Who do we want to be in this world? Who are we Called to be in this world? We need to go out and be that person, not be someone else, because “the world is crazy” and “we need to protect ourselves”. Jesus didn’t meet violence with violence. Not even in words. He met violence with Forgiveness and Love.
I thought I would need to write my entire reflection again. This is one of those times that “things happen” and you just can’t follow through with your planned Reflection.
At the same times, this week’s Reflection is pretty perfect. Don’t arm yourself to the teeth (metaphorically or not), don’t reinforce your boundaries, the world might feel scary…but it’s not that scary. Go out. Live life. Be Good. Do Good. It’s in these harder times that we are most called to Goodness, Forgiveness, Kindness, Love, and Grace!
I checked in on Susan Raffo’s Walk this week. She’s the woman walking from the coast of Maine to the West coast. We hosted her for an overnight on her journey. She is now near the other side of New York State, which is apparently much, much bigger for walking it. You can explore her website and check in on her journey at SusanRaffo.com.
One of the things she continually does is asks herself: Why am I Walking? The answers seem to shift and change and evolve. The answers she had before walking are not the same as the ones she discovered when she started walking, which are not the same answers she has right now on the walk. They will likely change again and again and again. Her “anchor question” is: How do we live together on this land in a good way?
More answers usually lead to more questions, which is not a terrible thing in life. What is your “anchor question” on the journey of life?
Walking a journey. There are the practical aspects. Where to sleep? How far to walk? What to eat? Right now, Susan is craving fruits. When you are walking long miles between towns (read: stores), fruit is few and far between. Ahh…the things we take for granted. What to carry?
We might question of ourselves what we carry out into the world. We pretty much carry everything we need so that we don’t have to depend on other people, so that we don’t have to interact with other people, and so that we feel safe and convenient. Safe and convenient.
Susan, walkers, pilgrims, do the exact opposite. They can’t possibly carry every thing for every possibility. There are so many things that can possibly go wrong and it’s impossible to carry all of the provisions for all of the possibilities. You have to discern and make the wisest choices for what’s most likely to happen.
When Susan walks, she is dependent on the kindness of strangers. Sometimes, this is that trust that no one will harm her. Sometimes, it’s dependency on a ride. Sometimes, it’s hoping for a bed to sleep in and a shower. Sometimes, it’s dreaming of a piece of fruit. If the weather turns really bad, we go inside. She is dependent on helpful strangers. People who help are called Trail Angels.
When was the last time we were that dependent on the kindness of strangers? We don’t have to be as much anymore. If our car breaks down or we get lost, we pull out our trusty cell phones and call home or AAA. We hope no one will stop and bother us in our vulnerability.
That’s new. I know most of us here have pre-cell-phone stories of running out of gas, breaking down, or driving into a ditch and being at the mercy of strangers for help. We’ve felt that uncomfortableness of sitting and waiting for help.
I’ve noticed that help usually comes in the most unexpected ways from the most unexpected of people. The people I would have thought would step in and help…don’t. The people I think would be least like to help…do. The people who should be the least scary…are. And the people who should be (stereotypically) the most scary…aren’t.
I’m sure we all have our own stories of being surprised when we need help. Who helped. Who didn’t. Maybe that’s why we really don’t like to be vulnerable. We don’t know who will show up…
How often are we in need of the kindness of strangers?
How often do we step in to help strangers?
Yet…this is exactly what is asked of us. To be vulnerable. To put ourselves out there. To cultivate real relationships is to be vulnerable. Maybe not to the extent that Susan is or other pilgrims are, but maybe we are meant to let ourselves be a bit more vulnerable on the journey of life.
Let’s take apart this passage a bit to see how this plays out. (passage referenced is Mark 6: 7-13)
Jesus sent them out two by two. Perhaps this is to remind us of our mutual need for tending and care on our paths through life. We are not meant to be alone, especially through the hard stuff. We need each other.
He gave them authority over unclean spirits. He sent them out to help and tend to other people. This was not just for the people who are “our people”, but for all people. In fact, this passage comes not long after Jesus’s rejection from his own hometown. It’s often the unexpected that offer us help and the unexpected who accept our help. I still love the saying: if you think you’re enlightened, go visit your family.
Take nothing but a walking stick. Walking sticks are quite useful when you’re on your feet for a while. It’s also helpful in creating a sense of safety. Be vulnerable, but we don’t have to roll over and show our bellies when there’s real danger.
No bread, no sack, no money. Wow. This is setting them up to be dependent on the kindness of strangers at all times. To cultivate relationships is to be vulnerable. We don’t have deep and soul-friend relationships when we are fearful and holding back. We must be completely open to truly Love.
Wear sandals. Long journeys require good footwear. I believe Susan is on at least her second pair of walking shoes. Good footwear is just plain practical. What do we really need to be well on our journey?
Wear only one tunic. There might be much more to this, but let’s call it a reminder to travel lightly. How much stuff do we really need on the journey of life? What is just extra weight keeping us from what matters most? Do we really need two shirts or is one enough?
When you enter a house, stay until you leave. Accept welcome. Don’t run out because it gets uncomfortable. Don’t leave because they have a messy home or differing views. Stay, listen, connect, and heal. Be present with one another, not counting to minutes until we can get away.
Don’t stay where you are not welcome. There is plenty of good to be done in this world, we don’t need to spend too much energy where we are not welcome. Do your good work where your good work can be done.
And so, they went out and drove out many demons, and they anointed many who were sick and cured them. We have many demons in our lives. Perhaps, most of our demons are cast out by someone taking the time to sit with us and listen so that we can be healed and made whole again. Then, perhaps, it is our turn to give to gift of being fully present, vulnerable, and listening. That’s when the deep and meaningful life we all seek unfolds.
This passage is about lightening the load on the journey of life. To not be so weighed down that we don’t have time for other people. To not be so heavy that we can’t make the most of life and all it has to offer. To not be so busy keeping track of all the stuff and protecting our stuff that we forget to look up and at the world and people around us and Love it and them.
This passage reminds us of what is most important. Healing. Grace. Love. Forgiveness. And Enough. Enough might just be a good pair of shoes and huge amount of hospitality—a bunch of Kindness.
Community Church of North Orange & Tully 