Wednesday, June 24, 2020

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2, New Revised Standard version)

Na-neun yagu-reul joahae.

This is how one says “I like baseball” in Korean. There are three ways. This is the informal one but there is a more formal version and finally a very formal version. Don’t ask me how one knows which one to use and when. I can’t properly pronounce the informal one.

But in light of North American baseball’s season being long delayed, I have discovered the Korean Baseball League. I don’t get up at 5:30 a.m. to watch it live but TSN repeats it at a more reasonable hour at 9:00 a.m. The KBL is a lot of fun to watch. It is not at the same level as MLB, but it is highly entertaining. I don’t know most of the players, nor do I have a particular team which I am cheering for. The stands are empty of fans but the players seem to be really enjoying themselves.

Each team has a limited number of non-Korean ball players, mostly former players from MLB, many of who are born and bred American. They are strangers in a strange land. Different language. Different foods. Different customs and culture.  For a country whose citizens, at least some of them, can be very jingoistic  and even xenophobic, as recent events in the USA are revealing, it must feel strange to be the one tagged as a foreigner, an outsider, an alien, an immigrant,  a baseball refugee, and to look so different from most others.

Yet, as some of these non-Korean ball players are interviewed, most seem to be very appreciative of the welcome and the inclusion which they are experiencing. They talk about some of the adjustment difficulties, of course, but several of them have been playing in the KBL for a few years and keep coming back. They enjoy the sport there, but I don’t think some of them would stay if it was a miserable experience.

                It has been suggested by a few travel experts that when visiting a foreign country (note how we designate the country as being foreign) one should immerse oneself more deeply the country’s true culture to truly understand it. It is not enough to just visit the popular tourist sites and eat gourmet food in classy restaurants which are sometimes geared to the North American taste buds. Discover the local markets, the off-the-beaten path eateries, the smaller towns and villages, talk to the locals, if possible.

                I will never forget my trip with the Peterborough Medical Brigade to Indonesia many years ago. We were visiting the island of Flores. We trekked by truck to remote areas of the island to run medical clinics for people who had little access to medical care or couldn’t afford it. By Canadian standards, we saw a lot of extremely poor standards of living. Yet, at the risk of sounding patronizing, these people always seemed to be joyful, thankful and to lead lives that were fulfilling in their own right. Everyone treated us so well while we were there. Their hospitality was outstanding. It was almost embarrassing, sometimes.

Compared to how we, in North America, can treat strangers, immigrants and aliens, or just anyone who seems different on the outside in appearances, we have a lot to learn from the hospitality in other cultures. “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,” (Matthew 25:25 NRSV) At the very least, (and I mean the very least) we can treat others with respect, dignity, and politeness. Hospitality is much more than that but it can begin there.

My life has been blessed, broadened, taught and  challenged by the people of colour, people of other nations, people of different lifestyles whom I have had the privilege of knowing or being welcomed into  their homes.

“Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.”  (Romans 12:13, The Message Bible)

Amen to that!

Dale

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

“Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.” (1 Peter 5:14, New Living Translation) 

                Hugs and kisses! That’s what I have been missing the most during this social distancing phase of the pandemic. The hugs and kisses of our grandchildren, especially.

                But now that the bubble has begun to burst, Susan and I took full advantage when our daughter, Katie, invited us to go join them for supper on Sunday – to become their social family circle. Nine-month old Amelia wasn’t too sure about all this hugging and kissing stuff but almost four-year old Spencer was  giving out hugs and kisses that were enough for both of them. That first gigantic hug from Spencer was pure gold! I didn’t want to let go.  I can’t wait to hug the rest of the grandchildren in the very near future.

                Even before social distancing became the social norm, one had to be very careful in handing out hugs to others. Some people simply aren’t huggers by nature to begin with. Some hugs end up disrespecting appropriate boundaries between male and female. Other hugs might be misinterpreted as signals of deeper affection than they really are. Teachers were cautioned about hugging their students. As a pastor I tried to allow a parishioner to make the first move in initiating hugs and tried to never assume it was acceptable. It can be very embarrassing to go to hug someone and realize that they weren’t expecting it or comfortable about it. Been there, done that.

                There are five instances in the New Testament of Christians being encouraged to greet each other with a holy or sacred kiss. Our text above is the only instance in which it is called a “kiss of love.”  The love behind this kiss is the agape Love of God, an unconditional, gracious, compassionate embrace of joyful fellowship and friendship. It is commonly called the “kiss of peace” in some church traditions. I expect that it was a sign of amicable and harmonious relationship between the two Christians who were exchanging the embrace.  

It became formalized as part of liturgy but I wonder if it started out that way in the beginning.  Perhaps, it was more of a spontaneous, generous expression of mutual affection in the name of Jesus. To deem it a “sacred kiss” would imply it is supposed to be a respectful act of trust; not to be abused or violated in any way. Whatever its form, I think the people of God are supposed to be all about hugs and kisses.

                It is the skeptical Teacher of Ecclesiastes who reminds us that there is “a time for embracing and time to refrain from embracing.” Sadly, we’re are in that time of refraining. It is hard to put as much feeling into an embrace given through a mask or a PPE. Waving at a loved one through a window is OK but no where close to a real hug or a kiss. Video chats are wonderful but not as good as having face to face conversations. Imaginary fist bumps look sort of silly, even if well meant. You can’t hug a person who is six feet away from you.  God forbid that this hugless society ever becomes the new normal!

                I enjoy those TV ads for a diaper company which celebrate the intimate touch of a hug between a mother and a baby or a father and a baby, skin on skin. A child needs to be held, embraced, cuddled, kissed and touched to feel fully loved, to feel safe, to feel contentment and to feel acceptance and to know that his or her world is right to live in.  Each of us has an inner child that needs the same assurances and signals that we are not alone but we are loved and secure in that Love, by God and by others. That’s what a sacred embrace truly embodies and incarnates, both for the giver and the receiver.

            Holy, sacred, loving, juicy, big, fat hugs and kisses. 

The world needs a hug right now.

So do you. Here is a virtual one from me! It’s the best I can do until we see each other again. Soon, I hope and pray.

Pass it on!

Dale

Wednesday, June 10, 2020
“Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.” (Hebrews 1o:25 The Message Bible) 

                I admire the optimistic way the provincial government thinks. It is going to allow churches to re-open their worship services at 30% capacity.  That would be a considerable up-tick in attendance, especially  in the two down-town churches for which I have had the privilege of being their pastor. Those sanctuaries were designed to hold  300 to 500 people. I might have sold my soul for a 30% capacity on any regular basis. Social distancing has been easily practiced in many old churches, long before Covid19 took its toll.

                It will be interesting to watch what happens to congregations once these restrictions are lifted.  So many churches, like downtown and inner city ones, small country churches, small urban churches, were struggling for survival before the pandemic. These three or four months of no activity, save for viral church connections, could be a fatal blow for many. I can’t imagine that financial giving has kept up with the normal costs that don’t go away like salaries, utilities, heat, etc.

                So many of these old-style, long established churches are lovingly supported mostly by seniors, both financially and through their attendance. But I suspect that they, as a high-risk group, will be extremely cautious, if not somewhat fearful, before they return to a public event like a worship service.

                I am not sure what the new normal will be for churches overall, but it will be very different.

                I must confess that since retirement I have not been a very active church attender, even before the virus. After 40 years in pastoral ministry it was nice to reclaim selfishly Sunday mornings for while, but then it became a habit. I make my excuse that I am too liberal for the local Baptist churches and too conservative for some of the more progressive churches. We have looked around a little but the one church we enjoy attending is in Whitby, Whitby Baptist Church, a little too far away for regular visits, especially in winter. (If you’re reading this, Ross, you owe me lunch for product placement!)

                But my poor excuses make me think of the saying, if you are looking for the perfect church, once you join, it isn’t perfect anymore. Or perhaps the old Groucho Marx line that I am not sure I would want to join any organization that would take me in as a member.

                This isn’t the time to rag on all that may be wrong about churches. I still believe that a healthy church is vital for personal spiritual growth and vitality. Suffice to say that I got burned out by the politics, the selfishness (including my own) and the bureaucratization of church life.  I dealt with too many unnecessary church battles when I was an Area Minister. So I am cautious about getting re-involved anywhere. I confess to being just a tad cynical.

                Excuses.  We all make excuses for not going to church on Sunday.

Our text above urges that avoiding worship is a slippery slope. I much admire the writer’s definition of church: encouraging love and helping out, spurring each other on. He is not pointing fingers at anyone but me. It is a message for all of us, of course, but it is reminding me that it is my responsibility to love, support, encourage and urge on the people with whom I share fellowship. It doesn’t say that I am to sit in my not-so comfortable pew and expect others to spiritually wait on me hand and foot.

                So when we finally emerge from our cocoons, I will be making a more concerted effort to re-connect. If we need anything right now, after all this is behind us, is the support, the encouragement, the love, the friendship of others. I need to part of the solution, as they say, not part of the problem.

                What about you? 

Dale

Wednesday, June 3, 2020
“He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance. He repealed the law code that had become so clogged with fine print and footnotes that it hindered more than it helped. Then he started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody.” (Ephesians 2: 14 – 15, The Message Bible) 

                “There will be peace in the valley.”

                As some of you know, over the last several years our two Australian Shepherds, Charlie and Kramer, have not gotten along which is putting it mildly. When it all started, we had many fights that were no holds barred, claws out, fangs snapping and blood spilled. A lot of that blood was mine when I tried foolishly to intervene, resulting in trips to hospital and doctors. One time, I became seriously sick with a serious bout of blood infection for which I was on an IV of antibiotics for a few weeks.

                We couldn’t bear parting with either dog, so we ended up separating them, one upstairs and the other downstairs, switching them around every so often so that one of them was having human company while the other chilled out. If Kramer so much as spied Charlie, even through a glass door, he would go ballistic. Although it was somewhat of a nuisance, this dividing arrangement worked for quite a while until finally Kramer began making such a fuss about being by himself that we had to figure out a new system of separation.

                Even when we put them in the kennel when we would go away, they both were in different cages adding to the cost of boarding. Interestingly though, we discovered that despite their mutual mistrust and dislike, they did like being in adjacent kennel compartments. They may have hated each other, but hey, they were family! But at home, we kept them very, very separate.

                This past year, we began to experiment with having both dogs on the same ground floor level at the same time, now separated only by dog gates. To our surprise, there were no attempted altercations, although Charlie was a little unnerved, at first.  In fact, in the mornings the two began to go outside together. Then a just a couple of weeks ago, I removed the barriers and so far, so good. The two now get along and are often found lying not far from each other or are mooching together when one of us is eating. We pray it lasts as it is so much easier to have two dogs who get along.

                The above text came quickly to mind in light of the racial violence we are watching on TV. We have seen a president wave a Bible around carelessly proving that you can lead a president to the Word  but you can’t make him drink. Never mind him for now.  If we are truly motivated by the example of Jesus Christ then the love of others, even and especially loving those who seem different, is an essential core value for peacemaking and breaking down divisions and walls. This Christly Love is more than a cheap photo-op.

                This love is not sentimental, soft-hearted drivel. Christ-like Love is one of justice, respect, tolerance, acceptance, benevolence, kindness, and doing good. 

                Let’s make this Love more than abstract; let’s make it real. I sometimes wonder what I would do if I saw someone, a person of colour, being racially abused in some way.  Would I have the loving grit to intervene and confront the racist and risk being told where I could go or being attacked myself? Or would I choose to slink off, not wanting to get involved and only think how terrible it was? (Remember the priest and the Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan?)

                I regret the actions of a few who are turning the protests into violence. It means that a lot of folk, probably mostly white, who are missing the point of the protests, that Afro-Americans, in particular, are frequently victims of police brutality and targeting. We should not be smug in Canada, for racial inequality exists here also. The slogan, “Black Lives Matter” is a poignant reminder that too often our black brothers and sisters do not matter in a culture deeply divided by race.

                Christly Love is the best response to this problem. It will take time, patience, intense, intentional efforts, the not-so-easy facilitation of good will, a serious building up of trust and respect if the walls of hatred, prejudice and fear are to come tumbling down. If our two old dogs can do it, so can we! All of us have the responsibility of taking down the barriers and making peace. “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5: 9)

             There will be peace in the valley for me, for me.

Well, the bear will be gentle;

And the wolves will be tame,

And the lion shall lay down by the lamb, oh yes.

And the beasts from the wild

Shall be led by a child.

And I'll be changed, changed from this creature that I am, oh yes.

There will be peace in the valley for me, some day.

There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray.

Dale