Wednesday Greetings, Wentz’s Family and Friends
The previous Mid-Week Thought was weighty and hopefully thought-provoking as we began LGBTQIA Pride Month. Today I’ll try not to occupy too many of your brain cells as we prepare for the church picnic this coming Sunday.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to be in Harrisburg, attending the “Power Interfaith” strategy meeting. Power Interfaith comprises clergy and activists from across the commonwealth from varying religious streams. The purpose is to bring these religiously diverse clergy and people together to address the issues of our time. Racial, economic, and climate justice, to name a few areas.
We have heard it said that “we are more powerful together.” This notion is chock full of truth. When we reflect on this idea, we can begin to see why the strategy of others is to divide us. From politics to religion and all the spaces in between, our differences have been centered instead of our commonality. The things we agree on outnumber our disagreements. As a result, we spend much of our time just trying to keep our community, family, church, and social connections from fraying. This dynamic is exhausting. We are tired of being tired from mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion. Our exasperation is the goal of those who sow division.
So many things can happen in the world and in our lives that can erode our faith. Little by little, life’s inequities, frustrations, and defeats may chip away at our faith in ourselves, other people, and even God.
One way we can bolster and reclaim our faith, to feel it fully once again, is to remember we are not on this journey alone. God has placed people on our path to walk with us. God is with us. Scripture teaches us the Lord is a light shining on our pathway. One way to help us remember we are not alone is to create a physical representation to remind us that we have come this far by faith leaning on the Lord. For me, it is a cookie tin full of greeting cards I have received in ministry over the years. It can be a polished stone or a simple hand-written note. These reminders show us the power of our faith. We look beyond circumstances to spiritual truth. Your faith is strong, and so are you.
“The more hands, the lighter the load.” Unknown