I need a Sabbath!

Oh my God… I need a Sabbath.

Seriously. 

Don’t you?

I’m not talking about a day to watch Football (American or the Real Stuff); 

I’m not talking about a day of meeting some pietistic obligation (although who doesn’t love pie)… I’m talking about a day of rest.  

A day when the busy-ness of the world is put aside.  

A day to commune with the Divine and align myself with Divine will – however I may choose to express it.  A day of justice for the labourer, absolutely, but for now, I really need a day for just to think.

You see, my life is pretty busy.  I move from delight to crisis, from meeting to gathering; from obligation to opportunity at an alarming rate… And I’m missing things.

My government and some of my community are debating our need to take up arms in a foreign country.  And I don’t have  a considered opinion – not that I’m incapable of making a considered opinion; offering a nuanced response, but I don’t have to consider… the prerequisite for a “Considered Opinion”.    

Should we have boots on the ground?  

Can we send soldiers, but reasonably imagine them to be non-combatants?  

How does that work?   

Do I trust my government or the collective intelligence that identifies ISIS (or ISIL) as a serious threat to lives and security around the world… or is this another exaggeration of threat that allows my government (and others) to rally around the flag in time for an election?  Governments at war are nearly always able to win elections as long as there is a war raging.

I went to see “The Equalizer” last week with my wife.  We’d both had hard months… too much feeling helpless as people died or grieved in my community; too much injustice happening around me, leaving me feeling impotent and  frustrated, too much many demands on my wife and too much… well, just too much too much!!    As we watched the movie and cheered for the hero as he efficiently dispatched a variety of horrible, terrible people, we felt somehow appeased… the bad guys were defeated.  The fact that these bad guys had nothing to do with the concerns and injustices experienced in our lives didn’t matter to us… bad guys lost and we felt better.

Is that what we are doing as we go to war against ISIS?  Throwing up our hands over concerns about missing, murdered and ignored First Nations Women, giving up on Fracking, Pipelines and a responsible Energy Program; packing it on plans to address poverty…. I worry that I’m being pulled away from things that need and could benefit from my attention by something that is inflated and manipulated to maintain the status quo. 

I’m not discounting the deaths, the disregard and destruction of human rights that heralds the arrival and occupation of ISIS – but are my CF18s really going to make a difference?  

  (Weren't we supposed to retire those planes a decade ago??)

I need a Sabbath or two to think… to pray… to work through all of the nuance and obfuscation to find the best way forward.  I know that it sounds quaint to some, but I really do need to pray... not that I'm expecting a booming voice or some kind of mystical SIRI to answer my questions, but I don't have quick answers to deep questions and as I open up my worry, concern, hope and ignorance to that which I call Divine... answers begin to emerge.  

As a Minister, committed to Christ’s Ministry that I dare to call the Kingdom of God, how can I ever advocate for war?  I am glad that I don’t live in a Theocracy, it means that I can be a voice and not have to rule… so, if I’m to be a voice, how can I, as a Christian (never mind a Christian Leader) be for war?  Shouldn’t I always speak for peace, even if I’m ignored by my Government and community?

You see? I need a Sabbath or two to think… to pray… to know or to find a way to live with not knowing.

When I don’t get the time, I find that I take shortcuts and begin to follow “party lines”, falling behind and mimicking the words of those with whom I have agreed in the past.  But the past is no guarantee of agreement in the future.  I might have great allies in the fight against poverty, but that doesn’t mean that we agree on LGBTQ rights or the need for “boots on the ground”.  Without time to think, I start to automatically doubt everything word that comes out of my Prime Minister’s mouth and assume that those who do not want to go to war are “not supporting our troops!”.  Jingoistic short hand quickly replaces the results of consideration, imagination and integrity.

I need a Sabbath or two.... or three or four. 

Today, I read an Editorial in MacLean’s magazine by Emily Teitel that suggested that we need to stop blaming the culture of violence in sports for producing violent abuses and criminals and instead focus on the actual individuals who break the law and hold them responsible for their actions. http://www.macleans.ca/society/hate-the-player-not-the-game/ I read the words and nodded as I read, and by the time I had finished, because I quite like Ms. Teitel’s writing and often share her point of view, I agreed with her.

Then, I forgot to turn on the music in my car as I was driving and I started thinking instead… and as I thought about her words and the implications of her suggestions; my own experience and other things that I have read I began to disagree with her thesis.  When I wake up tomorrow, I might have a better idea where I stand on the concept of “rape culture” violent sport and personal responsibility… but had my radio been on when I got in the car, I might have simply agreed without true consideration. 
That’s why I need a Sabbath, I'm doing way to much agreeing without consideration lately (which might explain why I'm excited about the Leafs this season).

Many people imagine that the religious practice of Sabbath is no longer valid – we’ve moved on and only weirdoes and fanatics actually believe in these ancient dictums etched in stone my some cosmic finger onto rock thousands of years ago.  But in a world of 24/7 shopping and entertainment, in a time and place in which beasts of burden do not have to be allowed to rest nor fields to lie fallow AND I can watch a whole season of House of Cards on Netflix in one sitting… our need couldn’t be greater.   We all need a time out… to breathe, wonder… think… and notice.

I took some time out today to slow down… and as I sat down ignoring my own impulse to hurry off to the next thing, I noticed a man… a man that I know and love… a man whose life is crumbling around him.  He’s hurting and the world is rushing past him; people who love him are so busy that they don’t notice the hurt… When people who love you don’t notice your pain, it feels a lot like you’re not loved.   

I need Sabbath to notice the people in my life…

I need Sabbath so that the people I love will know that I love them…

I don’t know what I can do for my friend, I’m not sure how I can love him – but I am damn well NOT going to let his life go unnoticed because I was too busy.

I’m  not going to war because I was too busy to think of a better response.

I’m not going to shirk my responsibility to protect the vulnerable by putting boots on the ground because I was too busy.

I’m not going to forget my First Nations Sisters or my Brothers and Sisters whose lives are profoundly impacted by our Energy Policies because I’m too busy….

I’m not going to forget to be a living, acting, loving human being…. 

Because I was too busy being busy.

I know that I'm rambling now... but perhaps with a little Sabbath time, not just time to rest, but time to think, consider, look inside even as I look outside... I just might find some answers, some peace..

I'd say more, but I'm taking some Sabbath time, right now...  Love you later. 

Hard to Belieb

I was about to post this when the bombs at the Boston Marathon went off… It seemed to flip to publish that day.  However, it is still rattling around in my brain and on my hard-drive, so here it is:

It’s everywhere…

   I posted it on Facebook (so you know that it must be news)…

      Justin Bieber said something really stupid.

Shocking, I know.

Stephen Harper was secretive

Thomas Mulcair was confrontational

Justin Trudeau was really pretty

(more things that you just didn’t see coming…)*

So, the young Mr. Bieber visited the Anne Frank Museum for a private tour.  At the end of the tour he was invited to write in the guest book and wrote the following:  “Truly inspiring to be able to come here. Anne was a great girl. Hopefully she would have been a belieber."

Really?

Now, you might defend the statement by thinking that it was great that Justin was able to recognize Anne Frank as a little girl; a child who had dolls and toys and should have grown up to giggle about love and go on a date.  Justin’s ability to see her as “girl” and not just as a tragic icon reminds of the horrific loss to all of humanity: millions upon millions of little boys, girls, men and woman who were exactly like you and me lost to mass murder.

But, it still came off as flippant -  as if our Pop Star believed that if not for the genocide, she would have been so into his crazy dance beats.  How unlucky for them both.

It bothers many of us, that in face of the atrocities of the Nazi regime, Justin is still thinking about his music; his celebrity: Himself.

But should we be surprised?

No doubt, he is surrounded by all manner of “handlers” and assistants… people to fetch his water, make his breakfast, plan his day, fix his hair, keeps annoying strangers away, tell him how wonderful he is, keep his secrets and basically cater to his whims… For all intents and purposes, the world that Justin Beiber lives in IS all about him.

AND he’s not alone.

The M.S. St. Louis with 937 Jewish Refugees was not allowed to land in Canada in 1939… We didn't want them.

After two months and 1600 kms, a group of Cree youth were not greeted by our Prime Minister, because he was having his picture taken with Pandas in Toronto (a much better photo-op).

My cat comes calling at 6am each morning, and if I pretend to be asleep, she will wake my wife -  who can then get up and feed the cat, leaving me to luxuriate in my own bed.

To varying degrees, it always seems “to be about me”.  (or us… or him…  them… you know what I mean)

Our society certainly supports and promotes this attitude, as advertisements arrived through the mail, television and social media telling me that “I’m the one”… “I deserve this”…  “My future is important.”…   Facebook even tailors ads directly to me based on my history of “Liking” and commenting.  (still not sure why I’m getting so many ads for Lipitor and Cialis… what did I say? And to whom??)  In a Facebook and Twitter world it is all about me.

However, before I lay it all on the shoulders of Social Media and Coercive Capitalism, I think that religion deserves a poke, too.  I will speak only for my faith tradition, but feel free to adapt to be critical of your own.  In Christianity we have put quite a premium on and have a long history of emphasizing personal salvation.

Have YOU been saved?

Are YOU born again?

Is Jesus in YOUR heart?  

             (and he walks with me and he talks with me... and he tells me I am his own...)

Why weren't YOU in church last week?

I enjoy the looked of confusion when people apologize to me for not having been in church for the past few weeks and I reply, “I’m not really one to judge, after all, I’m paid to be here… “  But they have a serious sense of obligation; that somehow it is their job to get their bodies into a place of worship every week.

I can do whatever I pleases,

‘cause I’ve got my plastic Jesus,

on the dashboard of my car…           

  (here ends the sing-a-long portion of this blog)

It really is all about us.

I was asked recently by a very intelligent, committed individual as to the purpose of church.  She said, “If we’re all love by God – and I do believe that – than what’s the point in going?  To be reminded that we are loved?”

I offered that hearing and being assured that we are loved is important… we wouldn't let our children grow up without being told frequently how much we love them.  I added, however we can further mine this parent/child God/humanity metaphor when we consider the way that we love our children.  We want what’s best for them, we want them to make good choices, we want to offer our insight and experience as they decide… we hurt for them, we get upset with them and we sometimes hold their hands through hard times… so on-going church experience can mirror that.  The give and take of relationship… the sharing of love, more than just a statement of fact or condition: YOU ARE LOVED.

But, more than that, I added… we also go to church to be reminded that it’s not all about us.  We aren't just in this world to be personally comforted and saved.  We are in this world to be free… free for the other.  We are in this world to announce, promote and be the Kingdom of God: A way of being that is not coercive or violent, but just and loving.  Justice and Love are abstract notions until they are enacted; lived out by people.  People like us… and church equips us to be loving and just.  It challenges us to make a difference in the world.  It picks us up when we fall, encourages us when we doubt… it opens our hearts and minds, so that we can love one another, fully and completely.   Church exists to celebrate that it is NOT all about us…  And if we could really embrace that, truly live such an attitude and perspective, we might soon discover that hunger is not impossible to eradicate,

Violence need not be prevalent

Justice can be real

Passion and commitment can be honoured

Photo Ops can wait.

Refugees can be welcomed and embraced.

I can get up and feed the blessed cat

And Justin Beiber can visit the Anne Frank Museum and be left speechless.

At least that's what I believe (of course, it's not all about me)

*With apologies for foolish exaggerations and caricatures … I know that Prime minister Harper is not just secretive, Mr. Mulcair can be more then confrontation… Mr. Trudeau is not THAT pretty.