Hey What's Your Name?

The poor you will always have with you, Mark 14:7

 

I have a new job. This is the latest in my retirement voluntary involvements. I hand out gift cards to homeless and other needy persons in our suburban community. Who gets these surprises? Those whom I perceive to be the appropriate recipients of the many many gift cards as donated by people in churches and mosques in this corner of our city. 

I got the job just by opening my mouth.  A group from a local chapter of this city's Interfaith Council, to which I have been recently appointed, was considering a local service project which might be coronavirus-doable and useful in our neighborhood.  With awareness of encroaching suburban poverty especially in this pandemic season it was decided a "Seasonal Collection"of certain used items and groceries and toiletries and gift cards to be forwarded to Salvation Army and a Veterans Centre, would be taken.  And also there are homeless among us. Who knows some of those homeless?  "I do," said I, thanks to my endless daily walks all over our community. Where do they come from?  Downtown, most of them because of good C-Train service, and some of them sleep here maybe in some of our backyards or garages! 😊 It's true; I have had conversations with a few of them. I became the instant expert and promptly my committee entrusted me with hundreds of dollars of donated loot.

Now with one week's experience on said subject here are my findings, not at all in order of importance:  1) Some are hungry and grateful to the extent that they almost fall before your feet; 2) One guy was seemingly so gratified he forgot to say thank you, dropped his 'poor me' homeless sign, abandoned his post and purposely entered front door of the fast food place; 3) Several of my gifting transactions made under the watchful eye of local police; 4) Several have cried the blues because local shop owners keep chasing them away from their posts; 5) One elder gentleman is available out and about sitting in choice sunny spots because he can only stand his nursing home about two hours at a time; 6) One morning at 6:00 a.m. my heart ached for a young indigenous guy who had walked around all night; 7) Several times I perceived recipients very likely hailing from good homes, as evidenced by recent make up and okay clothing - very young and possibly kicked out of the house for whatever reason; 8) Several have been quick to ask my name, and usually followed by their name - good mutual introduction; 9) And one local guy I have known at least a year, will not be caught dead going to one of the downtown shelters, very articulate and likeable, speaks with conviction and obvious knowledge.  He is my local resident homeless, my friend, also friend of the police and a number of others.

These impressions may simply be repeated over and over in the next weeks, or a whole new batch of experiences, impressions, may yet descend upon this freebie guy. At this point I simply share a bit of perspective, yes from this strident slightly opinionated preacher trucker whom many of you recognize from day one of my blogging! I says it as I sees it. I share from the vantage of but one week at this new 'job', but also of one who's been around the block a few times.  

 

Firstly the scripture above. Neither I nor my ministry colleagues are under any illusion of solving the poverty situation. In fact we know we may be contributing to it by handing out freebies; but also we know we are staving off the discomfort of hunger pangs and offering a gentle human touch to some who need it. Jesus offers this very perspective interestingly already present in the Old Testament, There will always be poor people in the land (Deuteronomy 15:11) and the O.T. advice of attitude to the poor is almost identical to what Jesus teaches in the Gospels. Tightfistedness or hardheartedness is inappropriate, whether by Law or Gospel or Quran, or Book of Mormon or whatever sacred text one lives by. 

Secondly, relationships. I was pleasantly surprised by the donations coming from my church. Our people responded from their hearts to an identified need.  My cynical side might say, it is an easy contribution to make. Indeed it is; almost with no effort they are able to provide from their affluence enough resources for some of us to do some good. My grateful side, however, hastens to add, if they would not share, then even those of us involved with some of 'the least of these' would not have even the wherewithall for a quick fix. This is where cheerful giving comes in.  Relationships of grace and generosity are absolutely essential, and they are life giving in a faith community. 

Relationships with the recipients, the poor, also is proving to be life giving. Who of us are the needy?  All of us; in fact some of us 'givers' are very needy! These corona days as people are stuck with one another I hear many comments from fellow Christians, from relatives and friends, that sickness and death and family stresses more than ever are facing us, regardless of financial status. Relationships are relationships! Some of the homeless are out there because of breakdown in relationships with partners, with parents, friends, enemies, drug abuse, mental illness, etc. Some are out there because of a choice to get away from a hell-hole relationship. Many rich people pay $ thousands and hundreds of thousands also to get out of hell-hole marriages. Some in our affluent homes wish they could die or even commit suicide because relationships are so bad. I also hear touching stories about kind-hearted homeless individuals helping out others in similar circumstance. So, generosity is a good remedy -  good for us whether rich or poor. Humility about our give-away is good cheerful giving (2 Cor 9:7).  It is a good way to honor one another, and for me certainly a way of honoring God the giver of all.

And of course, I cannot but wax eloquent on at least one profound (or otherwise) learning. All of us are created beings, here for a reason.  Yes, huge topic I know, and I promise to be brief. As noted in the early impressions list above, I have already encountered "What's your name?" several times.  So far I have chosen to honor this with the simple first name; that always reciprocated with their first name. I shall continue to reflect on this as the weeks go by. I think there is a significant thing going on here.  It is good to identify ourselves; our name being a most basic and also sacred way of recognizing we have been created. I am reminded of a book which I will probably never mention in a Tim Horton's conversation, a very scholarly work by a longtime friend, The Challenge is in the Naming , Lydia Neufeld Harder (Winnipeg: CMU Press, 2018).  Writing for the academic community from her faith perspective as an Anabaptist, she goes through the gymnastics and rigor of quotes upon quotes (her endnotes and bibliography almost as thick as the text itself) to present a profound simple thesis; God is best named within the hermeneutic community. "What's that?" would say all my siblings including my colorful alcoholic brother, and all my gift card recipients and most fellow church members. My answer to all the non-academics is that the hermeneutic community is simply those of us who live by what we together understand God to be (check out  Matt 18:20). Yup, that's it. Touchingly familiar here, also our 'naming of God' not at all dissimilar to our given names. My two grandchildren were named by their maternal grandfather who was an Indigenous elder (R.I.P. Herb) who had received the names in a dream, and we have confirmed their names in a ceremony with family and church friends. 

 

"What's your name?" Now I have a fresh appreciation for my name, my wife and children's and extended family's names, as well as for my Creator, I AM. Hmm, also a new appreciation for my Muslim friends who get offended when us Christians mess around with our trinitarian descriptions of the Holy one. Our hermeneutic experience of God is a part of the naming, says Harder. I give thanks for a fresh new appreciation for names (and also why my brother insists the Higher Power of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings is adequate and also very essential).  Quite a topic brought on by the query of a few homeless. 😇

 

Indeed God is here in these holy exchanges I have happened upon in these last several days. These occasions of God are coming my way equally at the point of a smile, an exchange of first names, or giving or receiving of the gift card.  

Longing for Light

It is now two days after Easter.  I was inclined to begin this post immediately after morning worship at church, but something stopped me. I had enjoyed the celebrative verbal and Facebook posts by many who ventured “He is risen” and my natural response, “He is risen indeed” and the bright Easter morning sunshine, and the drive to church (yes drive) to sing on-site in our sanctuary behind our masks with a few others as we mimicked morning worship ‘congregational singing' coronavirus style. It was fun; a bright morning including our pastor’s sermon based on John 20:1-18 – good lectionary-based Easter text alongside some helpful interpretive scriptures. It was solid teaching for those of us who need that diet. It was a good morning.

So why not type away and get at it?  This morning I think I finally get why it needed a little time.  Even with the celebrative trimmings of day before yesterday, there is still a longing. The longing is not at all a denial of the miracle of the empty tomb resurrection Sunday. No, the longing is an honest admittance of ... that tune which has been my earworm yesterday and today!  “Longing for Light” even smack on the heels of that sunny Sunday.  After checking with my wife, the resident go-to musician in our house, she names the song in my ear and promptly sings me a verse or two.  Ah yes, thank you honey, now I can blog.

The longing is exactly as presented in Sing the Journey, number 54 (HWB: Supplement 1).  There it is, a beautiful testimony of transparency; honestly longing among some brooding thoughts, not quite confident, perhaps lacking hope (vs 2), some concerns alongside. Oh yes, longing. The Easter season actually can make us vulnerable to disappointment. In my mind it is the most significant holiday of the year. Ironically for me it became even more so during those 'latter day trucking years' just before my retirement. And not only because there was always a possibility of not making it home for Easter (long trips all over Canada and U.S.), but because my faith became more real to me during those trucking years than it had been during the 20 plus prior years of pastoring! It was indeed my living faith that made this trucker want to get home!    

Seasonal regularity can provide a dullness to preachers and worship ‘professionals’ which may rob especially the special seasons of the freshness which is life-giving, inspiring!  My personal mental yen for perfection at times robbed me of the joy and the actual experience of the very topic I was talking about – faith, exciting faith especially on those occasions! Needless to say a pastor’s family are often the first to observe the unfaith or the drag especially from the one trying to be excited on the whole church's behalf. Obligation definitely has a way of making a mess of spontaneity. 😏 Imagine my joy to experience a fresh new living faith among truckers and traffic on the highways and byways.  So with an enlivened faith – even more important to get home for Easter! In a new way the preacher (trucker) needed to be with the assembled ones.  And also in a new way the familiar scripture, Hebrews 10:25 has become extra meaningful for me, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.

So back to Easter 2021.  I think it is all of this which contributes to my bit of emotional tenderness especially on an Easter weekend.  I've been around the block a few times (2 million miles actually 😇). When I show up in church I need not splendiferous sermons, exhilarating choirs, or whatever, and it must be freely experientially preached.  If not, I can tell!  On Easter Sunday it is so good to be able to experience our risen Lord, knowing it has new meaning each year.  

Resurrection after all is a surprise, and sometimes it may take a few days to sink in. Longing for light … perfect for Easter Sunday this year! I like also the Refrain:

Christ be our light! Shine in our hearts. Shine through the darkness.  Christ be our light! Shine in your church gathered today.

Christ is Risen!  He is risen indeed! Yes, to the assembled ones, and now I also comprehend more fully why it is always so difficult for my wife - even with masks and social distancing - to quit visiting with all her friends after church.

Addendum four days later: [Yes my posts are never quite finished - apparently quite characteristic of this nesheah. Always something more to think about as noted in a number of previous posts. 😔]    

Reading my good old Bible, John 20:24ff, Jesus appears to the disciples including Thomas, not necessarily a doubter but one who has some unique needs to have the resurrection make sense to him.  Jesus does not give him a separate tutoring lesson to explain his resurrected appearance.  Nope, he just gives it a little more time. Jesus allows a whole week to elapse (:26) and this time Thomas gets the satisfaction of 'touch and see' while they are all assembled. Here is yet another illustration of the importance of experiencing resurrection together with others, the assembled ones.

Eating Crow Carefully

Today I was scheduled to have a small day surgery on one of my eyes.  It was to be a procedure with minor pain hopefully, and minor inconvenience.  It would be done by an ophthalmologist I don’t like very much.  He is the same person who did a cataract surgery a number of years ago and ever since I have been dealing with a retina irregularity which affects my eyesight and which I am inclined to blame on damage incurred in that original surgery.  I once mentioned that possibility to him and it was not well received.  “The irregularity is a factor of your age,” said he.  “Whatever you say,” said I with a hint of sarcasm.  Our relationship now is stiff and formal. 😕

So with all that prehistory in mind I show up for this snip snip appointment, and promptly learn from the Associate (Junior Doctor) that this is but an examination to determine type of upcoming surgery.  After detailed look at my file and a brief exam it is determined I now need to meet with a surgery coordinator and answer about 100 questions in preparation for a more ominous sounding surgery at a later date.  Also, now I must make appointment to see my GP so he can complete a pre-op form, and I will take a requisition to a medical laboratory for bloodwork, etc.  No surgery today. I have with me now an officious folder of papers with my signature and initials on many pages.

Now I am humbled; humiliated maybe?  My wife and I were not impressed in the earlier encounter and ... here we are again. Now I am reading documents and disclaimers and 'agreeing' to pay $500 fee if I miss an appointment.  I'm not certain whether he may have been burned by previous patients or is this just to make sure his is a profitable practice. I thought my choice to continue with his office was a courtesy, and now have not even seen the smart-assed little muscle man and already he’s got me – again!  Maybe God is calling my bluff.  I may have had to wait a year to see another ophthalmologist!?

I guess I’m eating a little crow as I get shuffled office to office in this clinic.  I do need attention to a little growth in same area he has sliced before. Even as I have some reservations about those earlier slices, he  is now entrusted with further slices. 😞 Aagh, further ‘procedures’ complete with opportunity to pay an extra $300 for radiofrequency surgery not covered by provincial Health Care. Sigh. Growl. Just to assert myself at least a little bit I indicated I shall do without that fancy-sounding private enterprise radio frequency enhancement. Being on fixed retirement income, I'll take my chances on old fashioned scalpels, trusting the good doctor (?) to cut carefully. Ironically the one hint of camaraderie came from the surgery coordinator.  Typing away at her computer she fully agreed with me no need to throw more money at this cause. She's probably at similar income level as I have been all my life.   

Thus endeth this wimpering rant. This retired socialist preacher cannot quite give in to privatized medical care wanting to sneak into Alberta thanks to our present provincial government.

 

 

Found Wanting

I had a brand new experience yesterday.  Interestingly it came while I was doing a totally ordinary thing, studying scriptures along with others.  Scriptures, history books, literature and textbooks in seminars and discussion groups have always been part of my life. The new experience this time?  It was but a look.  Several of us, I think, recipients of a look of kindness, perhaps compassion, and slight bewilderment. The occasion was a local Interfaith group I have recently joined, a retirement involvement probably similar to others of my age; many of us looking for camaraderie; engineers, accountants, business cronies, academics, preachers (yes me too!) meeting with one another to 'speak of many things' (Gossip? No! 😏).  So here I am now, in an interfaith group of community 'religious', those involved in the practice and dissemination of spiritual knowledge and/or pastoral encounters in all local faith communities - ie. interfaith plain and simple.

This post is not at all about the pros and cons, errors and waywardness of differing Christian liberal ecumenical or evangelical groups, comparing of Muslim versus Sikh, along with Buddhist, Baha'i, Unitarians, Indigenous, complete with political assessments (read red neck or liberal) etc. etc.  No, this is a local gathering of kind, pastoral, friendly neighbors.  Those of you who have read my considerable posts about neighbors, neighborhood sidewalks and stretches, corona experiences, etc. know why I might be attracted to a group of this nature, especially if it has a friendship base - certainly more enjoyable than church politics, local or otherwise.

So, yesterday as we were reading about Jesus from the Qu'ran, from the Bible, and from Book of Mormon, the conversation goes to the seasonal.  We are at the end of Lent and about to enter Holy Week. What is more timely than the death, the crucifixion of Jesus?  This is basic to us Christians but not so much to our Muslim friends who do not believe that the prophet Jesus (pbuh sic) should be relegated to the defeat of death!  Aware of this distinct difference between Muslims and Christians, we Christians kind of contextualized and one of my fellow believers gave a good statement about importance of the resurrection.  Thank you Deacon Bob! There we were, quite engaged with one another and also aware of varying emphases among Christians and others beholden. Eventually, however, it boiled down (thanks to Dalton our excellent discussion facilitator) to our understanding of God - God, Almighty God, Jahweh, I Am, Allah who art Thou?  At this point I recognized what I discerned to be 'the look' on the faces of our Muslim friends.  Perhaps they had become uncomfortable with sub topics like Cross, Resurrection, etc. and then us slipping into Trinity discussion.  How un-Muslim, how un-interfaith.  How can we (dare we) do that without offending the One God, the Almighty - now broken up into a trinitarian three and then split into varying denominational or other understandings, etc!  Wow, anybody who has taken some Church History classes knows what this is all about.  In their minds this was probably a waste of time, Christians babbling on about their complicated godhead. They graciously indulged us.

For purpose of this post I hasten to add, I totally believe in the full-on suffering, betrayal, death AND resurrection of Jesus!  If in doubt read my last year's blog post, "Holy Week Battle", April 7, 2020. [Also wonderful testimony to resurrection in latest issue of Canadian Mennonite, "I have seen the Lord," Emily Summach, Vol 25, no.6]  In fact it is this conviction which leads me to ever new relationships with many people of other religious and/or cultural backgrounds.  It is also this my experience of God through Jesus which leads me to the insight about the baffled look in the eyes of my fellow clergy, the Imams. 

We need to learn new ways of talking about God.  Incarnation (God among us, John 1:14), our standard go-to theological assertion, probably needs more experiential reflection.  Something of late especially in North American Christianity has been found wanting.  As the world repopulates and cultures intermingle and if we believe in One God, as do the three Abrahamic religions as well as many Indigenous, our language will change. These Imams are pastors, teachers, most of them educated counselors with strong family values, peacemakers, etc. AND they believe in the revelations which came to Muhammed (pbuh) as recorded in Quran.  In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. (1.1). ....  and O followers of the Book! do not exceed the limits in your religion, and do not speak (lies) against Allah, but (speak) the truth; the Messiah, Isa son of Marium is only an apostle of Allah and His Word which He communicated to Marium and a spirit from Him; believe therefore in Allah and His apostles, and say not, Three. Desist, it is better for you; Allah is only one God; far be It from His glory that He should have a son (4.171).  Their understanding of our God Allah as a bearer of children is offensive, as is concept of Trinity.

So, this year, as I emerge out of Lent and enter Holy Week I am compelled to think less of the soteriology of salvation, and more on the example of Jesus as he accepted both the adoration (Palm Sunday) and the betrayal (Good Friday) and indeed also the resurrection empty tomb (He is not here among our theories and explanations).  Somehow, even as I reflect on the passionate commitment to One God, and One God Alone, my experience of Jesus the way the truth and the Life (John 14:6) leads me to much respect and a new appreciation of those who will not be distracted by our many theological articulations and holy wars and preferences and church denominations.

Angels Close to the Ground

This morning's devotional reading brought tears to my eyes.  The author, Bob Buxman begins his article in Rejoice! this way. "Willie Nelson sings "Angels Who Fly Close to the Ground." I've no idea what he imagined, but he could have written that line about immigrants - especially those from South of the U.S. border." (MennoMedia, Vol 56, no 3) and then he tells about many people approaching the infamous U.S. border. The first image that comes to my mind is from experiences a number of years ago when I was a trucker. That's where the tears come in. These corona days, some days I cannot but wish I was still doing what I once did. This morning's devotional topic, however, is much larger than my personal sentimentality. It's about hospitality, very thought provoking and completely contemporary, based on Hebrews 13:1-3. I once wrote a short article in the sleeper of my truck during those trucking years.  I must share it here, and then I'll follow with a bit of further thought on this scripture.

Aug 15, 2014

I wake up in a sweat. It is the middle of the night. I know I have been sleeping because a remnant of latest dream still lingers. My pillow feels like a sponge around my ears, my bed sheet wrapped around my naked legs. It is time to start the truck. I have done this before. It is how I survive these days – half a night au naturelle and then half a night with a/c running.

As I turn the key my heart settles in gratitude. I am thankful for batteries newly purchased about a month ago, and now serving with confidence (unlike the old ones that occasionally gave me a heart attack when there was only a ‘click click’). And I am so grateful for a recently learned poor man’s air conditioning repair. I charge it up with a can of Freon purchased at a local Walmart or Kmart! Oh, what a welcome discovery these last several weeks. No need to spend hundreds of dollars on A/C repairs that last only a short while anyway!

This morning, however, another thought intrudes itself on ‘the good litany.’ Seems like I remember another variation to this a/c topic! Last evening as I cruised down the highway I was accompanied by air escort! A helicopter was diving and darting behind, aft, and before me – obviously a vehicle of USCBP – probably snuffing out Mexican illegals down in the hot snake infested bushes somewhere. Not only that, but my mind reels on. Yesterday morning back in Laredo I was sitting at McDonalds, when suddenly there was the raised voice of a Security Officer, “Hello, Hello, Out!,” and a ragged looking young man gave up on his attempt to grab ice and a cold drink at the fountain machine.

Indeed, even now I further recognize my comparative comfort. I live in an insulated world. I haul temperature controlled produce. I haul it from cool warehouse to cool warehouse, with strict temperature requirements in my load assignments. My job is done within those parameters, and I do it well. I do it in comfort and even with a certain amount of dignity. What if I didn’t have this truck? What if it didn’t work right? (That has happened occasionally and I don’t care to think about that too much). What if I was one of those desperadoes out in the bushes? My heart resonates with what Martin Luther once said, “There but by the grace of God go I.”

Lord I wish I would at least have handed the guy my cold drink as he wildly beat his escape past my seat at McDonalds. Ooh, my mistake. And some of us have it so good!

The book of Hebrews is an amazing precis of the whole Bible.  If I was teaching an Introduction to Bible class right about now I would have students begin with several reads of the whole book. Where else can you get a brief overview of Old Testament laws and prophets and writings and then see perfect articulation of fulfillment in Jesus along with invitation to become a follower of him. Yes, yes! Even for days such as these! 😊 At beginning of last chapter of this marvelous book are these three verses. 

13 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. ² Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. ³ Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Hospitality!  My wife and I could not but feel the stretch of these few verses. Mr. Buxman has a good awareness of hospitality not just in its comfortable homey image. The costly understanding, the rigorous bigger picture is not lost on him. He writes of contemporary South Americans fleeing cruel regimes to supposed safety in the U.S.A. and I of course think of my forebears suffering the Revolution in Russia in the early 1900s.  As I observed helicopters pursuing unlawful asylum seekers in the hot snake-infested bushes of Texas it's not much of a stretch to think of population shifts happening in most countries of the world. And it's right here in my present retirement involvements in comfortable Calgary, Alberta. Each day I have opportunity to encounter immigrants from many places - most prominent in mind right now are South Sudanese and Ethiopian Christians escaping tribal warfare in Africa, and Muslims from Turkey, especially followers of Imam Fethulah Gulen. The minute I become acquainted with any of these folks it seems the table changes. I become the one receiving hospitality! They are the hospitable ones. They cherish my friendships complete with bright smiles and endless patience with my fellow-citizens who prefer to talk about the drain of immigrants and refugees on the taxpayers, etc.

Hospitality is such an essential concept mandated not only in the Bible, but Quran and all sacred texts, and it's one of those efforts yielding immediate reward. In so doing we are in the holy and sacred presence of angels - amazing this concept in three short verses!  I would go as far as to say, the greater the commitment to hospitality the greater the surprising holy presence of God's holy angels. 

I see no need for further theologizing about this. Just do it, and the rewards pile in. Sigh! This preacher in retirement is still lonely for those trucking years. Thank God for those angels still flying low - here, there, everywhere.