Gratitude and Community

It’s been a difficult week for words. I want nothing more than to speak peace and comfort into the anxiety and pain so many of us are collectively experiencing but I’m not sure I have the right words. I do know that regardless if the results of this election week are what you want them to be or not that God is with us and loves us.

I also know that regardless of the outcome of this week, Jesus tells us to love each other. As I sit here pondering all the possibilities (positive/negative) the one certainly I have is God’s promise to reconcile ALL things, to bring goodness into and from all situations. We learn to find good by looking for all that we have to be grateful for. From a place of gratitude we can find peace and joy and generosity of spirit.

A year ago, I posted the following on Facebook and although I can’t remember what prompted these words and photo, I can still make the choice to assume the posture of gratitude and community that these words convey.

Half full or half empty. Does it really matter? I am just grateful to have coffee. I give thanks to God who created the coffee plant and the goats who first ate the beans and the people who watched them dance and said, “let’s try that!” I am thankful for the people who tended, harvested, and processed the beans from which I brewed this cup and for the people who work in the factory that made the cup. I’m grateful to be able to enjoy this cup in my favorite chair in our home and for everyone who walks this amazing journey of following Jesus with me. Instead of standing on opposites sides of the table debating half-full or half-empty, let’s sit at the table together and share what we are each grateful for. I have plenty of cups for everyone. I’ll start another pot. Could you pick up some snacks?

Gratitude and community – let’s focus on creating an atmosphere steeped in this way of thinking. Regardless of what you consider is going wrong or right with this world, gratitude and community will always bring us comfort. We are all God’s beloved children. And with that as our foundation, we can not only navigate our differences but be grateful for them because it is through our differences that grow and flourish.

God’s peace, my friends,
Mtr. Nancy+

We are blessed when we bless

The Lectionary readings for Sunday, November 1, 2020
Revelation 7:9-17
Psalm 34:1-10, 22
1 John 3:1-3
Matthew 5:1-12

Just about a year ago I wrote a post on The Beatitudes and the Ten Commandments in my series on Compassion. If you have time, I encourage you to read it here.

To live the beatitudes requires us to change our perspective – to see the world around us as God sees it, not transactional (doing something to earn or gain something) but relational. In giving us these wisdom statements, Jesus is giving us the perspective necessary to live as God intends for us to live on earth as it is in heaven. So, get your coffee ready and let’s look at them a bit closer.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
To be “poor in spirit” does not mean to be weak or timid. To be poor in spirit means to let go of our own egos so that God can refine our spirit into the image God created us all. Being poor in spirit means, with boldness and confidence, to follow Jesus in the Way of Love with the understanding that when we keep our focus on the greater good of all, everyone’s needs are fulfilled abundantly. We are so much more than a bunch of individuals, we are God’s Kingdom people.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
To mourn is to show great sadness because of a loss. God has never said we wouldn’t have pain but that God would be with us always to provide the strength and peace and comfort necessary to learn from the pain caused by our broken humanness. A key step in healing and growth from any loss is to spend time mourning and lamenting. If we are incapable of acknowledging the pain, there can be no healing from it. It is from our healed wounds that we provide comfort and help others heal.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
To be meek means to be gentle, to see others with the same eyes of compassion as Jesus does. Being meek means we live confidently with the wisdom that when others treat us badly it is because of their own unhealed woundedness. We forgo retaliation. We let go of the idea of “getting even.” And in seeing others as God sees everyone, we live on this earth as God intends for us to – as it is in heaven.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Being human requires that we nourish our body and soul; we are not fully human if we don’t acknowledge and care for our complete humanness. We nourish our bodies with food and water. Jesus tells us he is the bread of life and living water. Our souls are nourished by God when we follow Jesus in the Way of Love.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.”
Mercy, by definition, is not earned. It is given freely, without condition. Only when we let go of the idea of being good enough to earn God’s favor can we fully receive the gift of God’s mercy so we are equipped to live mercifully toward others and the more mercy we offer to others the more we see fully the mercy God gives us.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
As John writes, when we put our hope in God’s way and follow Jesus, our hearts are “purified” – refined, transformed, and reshaped to reveal the divine image from which we are all created. When we live from the image of God in us, we see God in everyone. When we see God in others, we will interact with them with kindness and love as our brothers and sisters.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Peace making isn’t only about resolving conflict but living in the peace of God that comes from letting our hearts be transformed by following Jesus so that we are poor in spirit and meek, offering comfort and mercy to all, seeing each other as children of God. This is how we live Sunday School, participating with God in making life on earth as it is in heaven.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Living the Beatitudes is counter to how the world says we should live. The world says we need to be in for ourselves only, looking out for “number one”. When others hurt us, we need to hurt them back, and to prevent hurt, lump everyone else into labeled groups (by nationality, political party, skin color, etc.) so we don’t have to even consider that they are human. And when we go against all of this by refusing to dehumanize others, by showing mercy and compassion, by respecting the dignity of every human being, the world will tell us we are the ones doing it wrong. And we can stand strong and confident knowing we are already living in the Kingdom.

And so, Jesus summarizes how it will be living on earth as it is in heaven.
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Following Jesus is hard work with great blessing. When we choose to follow Jesus, we know the outcome: peace and comfort and strength and life lived fully as God intends us to live. Our reward is knowing confidently that God loves us, here and now, as we are, giving us life on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Is It I, Lord?

I woke up with this song in my head this morning. When I hear it, I imagine pelicans flying along the waves of the ocean and I’m fairly certain the connection between this song and that scene comes from Jurassic Park, but that has absolutely no bearing on what I’m going to write about here or how my brain even managed to connect the two… sorry, I think I need a bit more coffee before I continue.

Let’s all refill our cups and start again, shall we?

Every time I hear this hymn, my soul stirs with a deep longing, a homesick feeling of sorts. So, to wake up with it in my head has meant a day “in my head” and long moments of sitting with the words “here I am, Lord.”

In the timeless and timely story the hymn tells,* God hears the cries of the people and promises comfort, transformation, and sustenance. God then asks “whom shall I send?” Our loving and compassionate God provides for us through the hands and feet and hearts of each of us.

God knows the pain of darkness in our lives and wants us to know the hope of unconditional love. The weight of guilt and shame so many of us bear about our behavior, our past, our present, isn’t from God. God desires to free us from that weight and give us the freedom of new life provided by unconditional love. But instead of snatching us out of this world God gives us each other to be the light of unconditional love. God asks, “who will bear my light to them?” When you cannot see the light of Love it is my role to remind you Love is with us even when you can’t see it. And when the darkness overwhelms me, I need you to do the same.

God knows the coldness and hardness of heart caused by the hate in this world and shows us the softening and strengthening balm of self-giving love. Hate has become normalized in our culture. Mocking, belittling, and degrading others is a misguided attempt to make ourselves feel better or superior. Telling others they must be also afraid is a false sense of security. These behaviors themselves come from a place of fear and insecurity. Hearts of stone are carved in an effort to protect ourselves from the hate we ourselves are fostering by hardening our hearts. God asks, “who will speak my word to them?” When we experience someone expressing hate, when we catch ourselves returning hate for hate, we counter it with words of love from God to ourselves and to those around us.

God knows the loneliness and fear of those cast aside and ignored by society and offers the feast of belonging and love to all. Our society teaches us to be selective in who we let belong and that each group is limited in size and scope – the more people we “let in” the less we will each have. The economy of belonging in God’s kingdom allows room at the table for everyone. The more people we include, the greater the resources for us all because love grows as we give it.

God sees and hears and knows the darkness and hardness and loneliness of this world and gives us an alternative. We are part of God’s plan to bring heaven to earth. We each have something to contribute to make this world as God intends it to be. Together with God’s help we walk with Jesus in the Kingdom with all that we do and say and have.

Here I am Lord, is it I, Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night.
I will go Lord, if You lead me.
I will hold Your people in my heart.

God’s peace,
Mtr. Nancy+

*Reference Isaiah 6, 1 Samuel 3, and Ezekiel 11 & 36 for just a few “here I am, Lord” stories from scripture.

Not My Agenda

As I begin this blog, I attempt to make no assumptions about who might or might not read these posts. I’ve learned how easy it is to fall into the thought patterns of “I’m leading worship in an Episcopal church and these wonderful folks are sitting in Episcopal pews, singing songs from the Episcopal hymnal, and worshiping God using the forms in our Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, surely they know all the Episcopal lingo and the way we do things around here.” And, I’ve learned that people who’ve been members of the Episcopal Church their whole lives do not always know the “method to our madness.”

So, let me briefly (I’m not really good at ‘brief,’ just ask my husband) explain some things before I get into the heart of this post.

The scriptures that we read each Sunday are provided by the Revised Common Lectionary* , a published schedule of lections (aka scripture passages or lessons) used in many mainline Protestant churches*. The lessons follow the Church seasons and rotate on a three year cycle. On any given Sunday, in most every Episcopal Church (and all others who use the RCL), you will hear the same lessons read and preached on.

I always say the RCL is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it keeps me as a priest from bringing my agenda to the worship service – I don’t get to pick scripture for my own message or benefit. And, I am regularly awed at how the living nature of scripture brings the right words from God necessary to the situation in which we find ourselves. It is a curse because, honestly, there are weeks when I just can’t hear what God wants me to say through the given passage and I struggle to prepare and I’m fairly certain that this is my own stuffed up ears rather than God’s silence and since this has tremendous growth potential for me, I guess it really is a blessing rather than a curse. (Sorry, got side-tracked for a bit. Let’s move on. We can talk about stuffed up ears another time.)

So, back to the blessing part. As I continue in the recovery journey of being told “stop turning everything into a Sunday School lesson” and “leave God out of this” (which yes, includes looking at my own behaviors to ask what could I have done differently), I looked at today’s RCL lessons and – voila!

We hear Paul saying** ,
“For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts.”

And we hear Jesus saying*** ,
“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Humbling words. Grounding words. Comforting words. Orienting words. Motivating words.

As we continually seek to live what we profess in our worship, we must always remember that it is God’s message we are to live, not our own. Jesus gives each of us the invitation “Follow Me” because he wants us to know God’s love for us so that we can learn to love better. When we stand confidently in this Good News, we will share it by the way we live, and sometimes even with our words.

In my ordination to the priesthood, I was asked by the Bishop (among many other things. See the BCP beginning on page 525), “Will you do your best to pattern your life in accordance with the teachings of Christ, so that you may be a wholesome example to your people?” And I answered, “I will.”

In the Baptismal service we are all asked (among many other things, see the BCP beginning on page 299), “Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?” And “Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?” And we all answer, “I will with God’s help.”

Sometimes doing our best with God’s help to live what Jesus teaches makes us the least popular person in the room. Sometimes living Sunday School isn’t always the most convenient choice. We pay a price whether we choose to stand with what Jesus teaches or not; every choice we make has consequences, good or bad, direct or indirect, immediate or delayed. And, we know that when we get sidetracked or distracted, that Jesus will always welcome us back with grace-filled compassion, teaching us to love as God loves.

I’m so grateful you are on this Living Sunday School journey with me.

God’s peace,
Mtr. Nancy+

*If you’d like to know more about the RCL, here’s a good resource: https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/faq2.php
**Verses 3&4 from the reading 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
***Verses 37-40 from the reading Matthew 22:34-46

Living Sunday School

When I was in Seminary at Wycliffe College in Toronto, our Evangelism professor sent us out on scavenger hunt style assignments around campus sometimes to find specific things and sometimes to discover what best fit the prompts. To be honest, I can’t remember (after all it was almost a decade ago…) many of the details of these exercises but they got us out of our lecture halls and study rooms and into the beautiful world around us as we worked together to find covert ways in which the Christian faith is referenced all around us.

One of the statues we had to locate based on obscure clues was that of Robert Raikes. Raikes was a journalist is mid-eighteenth century Gloucester, England. He became concerned about all the children wandering about without adult supervision on Sundays (the children worked in the factories during the week rather than attend any form of school). Enlisting the support of the local parish priest and members of the parish to organize and facilitate the lessons, Raikes then wrote about the successes in his newspaper and the idea spread throughout the whole of England and the entire Protestant world. He called it Sunday School because it was school on Sundays which taught reading and writing using scripture.

In a time when the ability to read and write was limited to the wealthy, the church stepped in to equip children for a better future. Raikes was also deeply involved in prison reform and his idea to educate these children of poor factory families came from the belief that preventing a life of crime was a better approach than punishment and rehabilitation after the fact.

Raikes’ precursor to state schooling for everyone (and what also evolved into how we conduct faith lessons in conjunction with regular weekly worship) comes from an interpretation of The Great Commission given by Jesus (see The 28th chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew). On the statue in Toronto, the Great Commission is shortened to “Go – Teach.” As Jesus’ followers, we are all commissioned to teach the wisdom of our faith with our behaviors and actions and words; it is the true vocation of every Christian.

GO – TEACH

Recently, however, I was told to “stop turning everything into a Sunday School lesson.” Now, I’m sure these well-intentioned folks didn’t actually realize what they were asking of a priest, but it illustrates how we can be so selective about where we acknowledge God’s presence in our lives and how we fit our faith into our self-created lifestyle rather than letting Jesus teach us to live as God desires. (Perhaps developing the wisdom to discern the difference was a long term goal of Dr. Bowen’s “get out of the building” exercises.)

Although it should go without saying, I’m going to say it anyway for the sake of clarity: none of us has the power to bring God into or leave God out of anything. But, we can (and should, continually) learn to be more and more aware of the presence of God in all situations, people, and places. As we grow deeper in relationship with God, we develop an awareness of how we reveal the Divine Presence by the way we live and the words we use. And, yes, there are plenty of times when I don’t and so I seek God’s gracious forgiveness and with God’s help I grow so that I am a better instrument of God’s presence in this world going forward.

As we follow Jesus we are a Living Sunday School. Everything we do, think, and say reflects our belief about who God is and God’s presence, one way or another.

We are a Living Sunday School.

The wisdom of scripture – all those stories we were taught as children in Sunday School – is not to teach us about God as we would learn about historical figures but to enable us to live in relationship with our God, moment to moment, day to day, season to season, living Sunday School to fulfill our role in making life on earth as it is in heaven.

God’s peace,
Mtr. Nancy+

God Created and Loves…

In this season in which we find ourselves, as we are beginning to restructure how we do most everything in light of the pandemic and as we stand in long lines to vote (don’t let the long lines or the news or false rumors about voter fraud discourage you – VOTE! You do matter and your vote does count!) let’s remember this:

There is not one single person we will ever encounter that God does not love.

God created every human being in God’s image. Yes, even the person who just popped into your head that makes you so very angry. And George Floyd, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Breonna Taylor, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Amy Coney Barrett, and the people on that news channel you dislike so much. Yes, even that person you just tried to discredit on social media.

God created and loves:
Every person who has protested and marched against police brutality and the racial injustice systemic in our country.

Every person who denies there is systemic racial injustice in our country and every person who is asking the hard questions of themselves to uncover their hidden biases because they can no longer deny racism still exists.

Every person who has raged and looted and destroyed property during protests because their pain has led to anger beyond comprehension.

Every person who thinks pointing weapons at those they disagree with is the answer to our issues with violence.

Every person who has worked for unity and peace within their communities.

Every person who does or does not wear a mask in public.

Every person who is standing in the line to vote who is voting differently that we choose to vote.

These are difficult words to write/read/say and it is even more difficult to live them. We can’t place blame for the division in our country on whoever is in the Oval Office. We are, each and every one of us, responsible for our own behavior and if we want the world to be a more compassionate and loving place it is up to us with God’s help to live on earth as it is in heaven. Regardless of the model set for us by our country’s leadership, we are responsible for our own choices about how we treat each other.

To love as God loves means we don’t tolerate injustice or aggression (covert or overt) toward anyone. It also means we don’t react with condemnation but with personal accountability, asking ourselves “how does my response reflect the image of God in me?”

How does my response reflect the Image of God in me?

Something is going to happen on November 3, 2020. Someone will be elected President. And regardless of what we think of that person, God loves that person as God loves everyone. Our role in the political process is to cast our vote for the person we think is best for the greater good of our country and then (are you ready for this) to be the best Jesus Follower we can be in everything we think, say, and do, whoever is elected.

Jesus teaches us to respect the dignity of every (yep, even that person) human being, and commands us to love. This is one of the many ways we “give to the emperor the things that belong to the emperor and to God that which belong to God” (Matthew 22:21).

Vote and may the peace of God be with you always.

The Gift of Disruption

Originally posted on March 30, 2020

We’ve all been given this beautiful gift of disruption. It may not look beautiful on the outside. Our schedules had been completely undone. Our security seems to have left us. What we thought we had under control is in chaos. Life doesn’t feel beautiful or gift like or good at the moment. Disruption is supposed to be a bad thing, undoing the life we’ve so carefully crafted.

But what if we were to take this time to look at the life we’ve crafted for ourselves and our families, really look at it. What would we see? Do we see the life we really desire? Or do we see the life that we’ve been told we should want? Do we see a life grounded in peace and joy or a life of chasing that ever elusive thing we’ve labeled “happiness”?

Our lives have been disrupted by a virus we can’t see or control. We can, however, control what we do with this gift of disruption we’ve been given. Take the time, make the time, to open this gift. Sit with it. Pray over it. Ask God to show you the beauty of it.

Ask God to help you see the true foundation on which a life of peace and joy is built. We’ve all been given the opportunity for the greatest remodeling project of all, the remodeling of our lives framed by the Love of God and the sure and certain hope that comes from crafting a life based in God’s Kingdom.

Don’t discard a gift because you don’t like the wrapping. It is what’s on the inside that counts.

Seeing Clearly

Originally posted on February 8, 2020

“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.”
Matthew 7:1-5 NRSV

Have you ever noticed the last verse in the passage says, “then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye”? You will see clearly. Jesus isn’t giving us permission to lord our perceived perfection (because none of us are log or speck free) over someone else but telling us that when we address our own brokenness and imperfections we will see clearly that all of us are imperfect and need grace and understanding.

My “goodness” or righteousness doesn’t come from anyone else’s “badness”. My perfection doesn’t come from anyone else’s imperfection. My ability to be loving and kind can only come from within me and as a follower of a Jesus, I believe it truly comes from the power of God’s love for me and for all people. To be formed by God’s love requires me to see the image of God in myself and in all people.

When I can see the image of God in others, then I clearly see them. I clearly see that it isn’t my duty to remove their speck but, with God’s help, to take care of what in me is blocking my Christ-like vision for others. And then I can truly walk in love and understanding with those who are working on their own eyes. Seeing clearly to help them doesn’t mean I judge and condemn but that I treat them with compassion and love as together we walk with Jesus in the Way of Love.

May God fill your day with peace and joy and love, my friends.

Awareness

Late last summer, after the shootings in El Paso and Dayton and Odessa, I began writing about growing our compassion. I firmly believe that if we work more diligently, with God’s help, at seeing other people and the situations in which we find ourselves as Jesus would see, the world will be better.

Compassion requires us to see and be present (even with proper physical distancing) to other people. Compassion requires us to seek to understand the other person’s circumstance. Compassion requires us to acknowledge the Image of God in every person.

Compassion isn’t about deciding whose “side” we are on. Compassion is seeing all “sides” through the eyes of Jesus so that there aren’t any more “sides” but instead we see human beings created in the Image of God.

This past Sunday was Trinity Sunday and I talked about how the Trinity is our ultimate model of community and unity. We are all created in the image of the Trinitarian God and are part of something so much bigger than ourselves. The upheaval sparked by the death of George Floyd is the result of years and decades and centuries of humans losing this theology. The “rugged individualism” that we preach in this country is the antithesis of the Trinity. Individualism creates a world of constant competition: “I have to fight for what’s mine. I have to be better than everyone else. I have to push others down to lift myself up. My life/possessions/ideas/beliefs are threatened by your very existence.”

Living into our trinitarian theology says we are all in this together seeking the greater good for every human being. Trinitarian theology says life is a companionable journey, not a competitive fight to the death. We each make the Body of Christ whole. We are most fully human when we live in community and unity as God created us to live. We are most like Jesus when we see the pain and hurt in other people and are moved to help alleviate it.

Deepening our compassion requires us to look at our own responses to the situations we find ourselves in and ask ourselves some tough questions: is my response self-serving or for the greater good, why do I respond that way, why do I think that way? When we catch ourselves defending the way things are, we need to ask ourselves why am I engaging in this debate, what am I afraid I’ll lose if things change? When we want to stay in the comfort of silence, we must remind ourselves that Jesus calls us to take a stand and speak the truth of God’s love.

I am trying to be fully aware that as I write I’m bringing along my own prejudices with having grown up in white privilege. The only way I can fix that is to look deep in myself and with God’s help pray for healing of my own brokenness. It’s going to be a tough journey but I know together we can do it. I want to do it, I don’t have a choice any more.

Stop taking sides and take a stand for the truth of God’s love. We best reveal God’s image in us by seeing it in others.

I Ask You Why

Originally posted on June 6, 2020

I’ve been struggling these past two days with what to say. I want my words to be compassionate but I’m angry. And I’m desperately heart-broken. So, I’m working at it.

I cannot comprehend how anyone could justify using teargas and force to clear a church yard of people who are behaving peacefully, including the volunteers and clergy who where providing comfort and relief to those who were legally protesting a horrific act … or should I say decades and centuries of horrific acts.

The people of the church that had been burned by the violence caused by not so peaceful protestors stood in solidarity with the message of the protesters and sought to serve them in a Christ-like way.

Read that last sentence again; let that sink in.

The bishop and clergy of this particular church chose to see the situation through the eyes of Jesus. And their efforts and message were tear gassed for a photo-op. There were no words of comfort and grace offered by the president, no message of love, dignity, or respect – the very theme of the book he held and the very message of the building he stood in front of.

I cannot comprehend how we’ve come to this.

I’m struggling to see all sides of this as Jesus would. My anger is still too big. But I’m trying. I want to speak but I know my words will not be effective if shouted among all the other yelling and fist shaking.

So I ask the following with as much kindness and compassion as possible:

If you think it’s ok for white people to stand on capital building steps with automatic weapons as a form of protest against the professional medical advice to stop a pandemic but not for people of color to get angry over the murder of a black man in broad daylight by a police officer, I ask you why?

If you immediately respond to “Black Lives Matter” with anger, or even just discomfort, and make statements like “all lives matter” I ask you why? Do you think that accepting the idea that black lives matter means you don’t?

If you lump both protestors and looters in the same bucket and condemn them all as “thugs” and think it’s ok for the leader of our country to promote the continued violence against these people with statements like “dominate and control” and “when the looting starts the shooting starts” I ask you why?

And if these questions make you angry at me and if you are considering posting a comment condemning me for asking them, I ask you why?

Bigotry and hatred are alive and thriving in our country. You can choose to pretend it isn’t if you want to but again I ask you why? Ignoring it is easy on the surface but it eventually leads to what has exploded in the past two weeks. Do we really want to live through this over and over again as a nation? Wouldn’t it be better course of action to work at being better human beings together as companions rather than competitors?

I promise you, with God, there’s enough equality and compassion and understanding for everyone. There’s enough love and grace for everyone. There’s enough dignity and respect for everyone.

I choose, with God’s help, to love not hate. I choose, with God’s help, to speak carefully, guided by compassion. I choose, with God’s help, to seek understanding. I choose, with God’s help, to strive for justice and peace and respect the dignity of every human being.

Will you choose to walk the Way of Love with me? If you choose not to I’ll still love you and treat you with dignity and respect but I will keep asking you why.