Sunday Musings - Easter, April 4, 2021
Today is the holy day of Easter for Christians. Easter focuses on the story of the resurrection of Christ. Some believe this to be a fact while some believe it is a metaphor for new life. Some would say it is both.
For Jews this is the last day of Passover, Also, a celebration of new beginning. For both Christians and Jews the new beginning were made possible by the intervention of the God of their understanding.
For many who are not connected to any religion this is a day when kids and some adults will hunt eggs and receive baskets with decorated eggs and other special treats. Many of these families who feel safe enough regarding Covid-19 will join other family members and jointly welcome spring and new beginnings
For many others this Easter Sunday is another day for survival in the streets, under the bridges, in shelters, or in refugee camps, For many, survival will occur on and near the border or, especially for unaccompanied children in a detention facility. They have left one prison of poverty, violence and hopelessness and now face another.
The group to which one belongs on this Sunday will not tell us which ones experience holiness. Oxford dictionary defines holy as 1.1 (of a person) devoted to the service of God.” And 1.2 Morally and spiritually excellent.” Serene Jones, President of Union Theological Seminary, in a December 5, 2019 conversation with the host of On Being, Krista Tippett, talks about public theology. She explores theology as clarifying lens on the present-from grace to repentance to the importance of moving from grieving to mourning; to unite what I was, what I am, and what I will become.”
Friday evening I attended an open Narcotics Anonymous meeting to listen to a young man with whom I have been corresponding tell his story. His story includes being raised by addicts who were once members of a violent gang in Los Angeles; of a young man who grew up with an fear, anger, and doing what he needed to do to survive, being beaten, spending multiple times in prison and being unable to connect with his holiness or that of others. He was one of those individuals who much of society thought of what I called in a previous blog a throw away person. We greeted each other with a warm hug and much appreciation for who we are. Although my story is much different than his we are both the same and different men than we were as young men. As young men we were both enveloped in grace although neither of us could then appreciate that fact. Unlike Dr. Jones I would suggest that we are the same person but the person whom we now share is not who we were yesterday or who we can become tomorrow.
Today the public theology of this young man is the loving, praying, responsible man who is committed to walking the talk; the talk none of us can walk until we humbly throw off the shields of fear, anger, and disconnectedness; until we repent and risk the nakedness of who we were born to be; until we accept what some Christians call Grace (unconditional love). That is the Easter message. We can rise again to be the person who knows and trust love for self and others; the person who is connected to the whole. Christians would explain this amazing possibility as happening because of the events of Holy Week; because of the courage and love of this man Jesus who became pure humility and, thus, pure love. Others might cite the teachings of Buddha and still others would cite Mohammed, another god of their understanding or some other wise teacher.
In my mind, public theology entails doing our best to grief and then mourn all the harm we have caused ourselves and others; throwing off all those shields which numb us and keep us from claiming the reward of the journey toward holiness. The journey toward holiness is, for most of us, often one step forward and two back. Eventually, as we persist, it becomes two forward and one back. No matter, the essence of who we are is always present. We merely need to claim the courage and strength to own that person.
Welcome Easter. Welcome Passover. Welcome spring. Welcome brother in the homeless camp. Welcome sister refugee. Welcome new beginnings. Welcome humility. Welcome the courage to claim one’s holiness.
Written April 4, 2021
Jimmy F Pickett
Coachpickett.org
Today is the holy day of Easter for Christians. Easter focuses on the story of the resurrection of Christ. Some believe this to be a fact while some believe it is a metaphor for new life. Some would say it is both.
For Jews this is the last day of Passover, Also, a celebration of new beginning. For both Christians and Jews the new beginning were made possible by the intervention of the God of their understanding.
For many who are not connected to any religion this is a day when kids and some adults will hunt eggs and receive baskets with decorated eggs and other special treats. Many of these families who feel safe enough regarding Covid-19 will join other family members and jointly welcome spring and new beginnings
For many others this Easter Sunday is another day for survival in the streets, under the bridges, in shelters, or in refugee camps, For many, survival will occur on and near the border or, especially for unaccompanied children in a detention facility. They have left one prison of poverty, violence and hopelessness and now face another.
The group to which one belongs on this Sunday will not tell us which ones experience holiness. Oxford dictionary defines holy as 1.1 (of a person) devoted to the service of God.” And 1.2 Morally and spiritually excellent.” Serene Jones, President of Union Theological Seminary, in a December 5, 2019 conversation with the host of On Being, Krista Tippett, talks about public theology. She explores theology as clarifying lens on the present-from grace to repentance to the importance of moving from grieving to mourning; to unite what I was, what I am, and what I will become.”
Friday evening I attended an open Narcotics Anonymous meeting to listen to a young man with whom I have been corresponding tell his story. His story includes being raised by addicts who were once members of a violent gang in Los Angeles; of a young man who grew up with an fear, anger, and doing what he needed to do to survive, being beaten, spending multiple times in prison and being unable to connect with his holiness or that of others. He was one of those individuals who much of society thought of what I called in a previous blog a throw away person. We greeted each other with a warm hug and much appreciation for who we are. Although my story is much different than his we are both the same and different men than we were as young men. As young men we were both enveloped in grace although neither of us could then appreciate that fact. Unlike Dr. Jones I would suggest that we are the same person but the person whom we now share is not who we were yesterday or who we can become tomorrow.
Today the public theology of this young man is the loving, praying, responsible man who is committed to walking the talk; the talk none of us can walk until we humbly throw off the shields of fear, anger, and disconnectedness; until we repent and risk the nakedness of who we were born to be; until we accept what some Christians call Grace (unconditional love). That is the Easter message. We can rise again to be the person who knows and trust love for self and others; the person who is connected to the whole. Christians would explain this amazing possibility as happening because of the events of Holy Week; because of the courage and love of this man Jesus who became pure humility and, thus, pure love. Others might cite the teachings of Buddha and still others would cite Mohammed, another god of their understanding or some other wise teacher.
In my mind, public theology entails doing our best to grief and then mourn all the harm we have caused ourselves and others; throwing off all those shields which numb us and keep us from claiming the reward of the journey toward holiness. The journey toward holiness is, for most of us, often one step forward and two back. Eventually, as we persist, it becomes two forward and one back. No matter, the essence of who we are is always present. We merely need to claim the courage and strength to own that person.
Welcome Easter. Welcome Passover. Welcome spring. Welcome brother in the homeless camp. Welcome sister refugee. Welcome new beginnings. Welcome humility. Welcome the courage to claim one’s holiness.
Written April 4, 2021
Jimmy F Pickett
Coachpickett.org
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