Ubuntu = Ubuntu refers to behaving well towards others or acting in ways that benefit the community.
I saw a picture describing this word and it hit me that our world needs more Ubuntu in it. My life needs more ubuntu in it.
Clay Thomas
Yesterday at 12:34 AM
The Day Jesus, Bredesen, and Trump came to [edited for privacy]
"You cannot love, what you cannot see."
Jesus--morning
This morning I preached on Jesus' teaching that the "Kingdom of God is among us." I referenced the opening monologue from "Love Actually":
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world,
I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport.
General opinion’s starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don’t see that...If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around."
Pipe bombs, Tree of Life, gang violence, sexual assault, refugees, immigrants...It is easy to despair for our world right now. But this morning I invited the congregation to think about where the kingdom of God is present. It's not a place so much as where God's will is being done. I believe the Kingdom of God is among us when we love deeply and celebrate the image of God in everyone. It was all in all a sermon of hope.
Bredesen-afternoon
I was invited to attend the clergy interfaith lunch for Gov. Phil Bredesen. I am not much for campaign events. There's about 1000 other things I'd rather do. But I was honored to sit at the table with Rabbi Tendler and Michael Dzik (E.D. Jewish Federation). Governor Bredesen made a sound appeal for civility and finding common ground. I appreciated most everything he said. However, I also hurt as he referenced "our" pioneer days and when "we" came over to settle in America. And how Americans came from oppressive places to build a land of freedom. Note: the room was easily 25% black. And it pained me. I'm just in a place right now where I'm convinced the most important thing we can do is see each other. Really see each other. As someone who speaks publicly, I am often misunderstood, not given the benefit of the doubt, and oftentimes I just say something stupid. So I am in no way drawing any conclusions on a man or his views based on word choices and history narration. This is about what I felt in that moment. And I felt some people were not being seen.
Trump-late afternoon
I get an urgent text from Tricia. Some UTC students she works with organized to have a small non-violent protest with special attention to the tone of their signage and what they would say. They didn't want to bring any more hate to the game. Secret Service changed up the game and put the students with the larger block of protestors. Tricia said some of the students were scared and thought it would help if clergy were present. Multifaith clergy mobilized and stood alongside the police as peacekeepers. I watch thousands and thousands of people stream towards the doors of the McKenzie Arena to hear President Trump speak. They were excited and happy to be together. I worked hard to look at each one of them individually, not at what they were wearing, not who they were standing with, and really see them. And I could see the image of God in them.
Behind me were protestors, maybe half of them were college students. They were glad to be with people who felt as passionately about the state of the world. They chanted "Love trumps hate", "No Trump! No KKK! No Fascist USA!" "Black Lives Matter", "Jews Lives Matter." I saw the image of God in them as well.
Odd to me, the most common response to the protestors was bewilderment. It appeared to me that many of the Trump rally attendees were surprised by the fervor of the protestors. What's all the fuss about?
To the protestors, every chant and sign was responding to something concrete: a policy, a speech. For them they are pointing to clear and present dangers. To the people in the Trump line, the protestors' laments were either hyperbole or fake news. Of course it's easier this way. If we don't have to see the people our choices affect. And so we become each other's fairy tales or nightmares. Adversaries are not allowed to have families, hopes, illnesses, dreams, loves. Adversaries must not see one another's humanity.
Well, America, we apparently have done a swell job producing adversaries.I have never seen two groups more alien to one another.
Lastly, I wasn't so naive to hope people would listen to each other. But once I got there, I did hope the people streaming into the event could see the pain of those across the street. Because that's what I saw. I saw a lot of pain and hurt and even fear. You don't have to agree with someone to have compassion for them. Because you know what it is to hurt, and you know what it feels like to be afraid. Compassion is great that way.
They say: "Love trumps hate"
They chant: "Love wins"
They sing: "What the world needs now, is love sweet love."
But.
You cannot love what you cannot see.
I hope to see you soon.
How absolutely wonderfulsat down to enjoy the fact that I CAN SIT DOWN.
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