Thanksgiving 2015
“Living it Out” - Cynthia Kirk’s poem
Why does the world not look like the
kin_dom brought to life by Cynthia Kirk’s poem?
It really makes me wonder because I
think I would be hard pressed to find someone who questioned any of her statements. Her words, although written for today’s
audience, are no different than the kin_dom brought to light in the words of
the Hebrew prophets, and the vision of early Christian communities as written
in letters commending certain actions to form such community.
The snippet read from the prophet Joel
is from a longer poem that begins in the despair and brokenness of a people and
a nation who have been in captivity. Joel’s words are spoken as the people
return to the land, to cast a vision of what could be if people embrace the
moment as a time for change. The people
can re-build and form community in any way they choose! In the prophet’s eyes they are starting fresh
on a clean slate.
The prophet’s eyes see a clean slate,
yet, the peoples’ eyes are clouded. Some
of the clouds are positive, but, it does not take long for the conversation to
turn to what once was and actions that rebuild a shadow of what was, rather,
than, stepping into an undetermined new build.
No one would have argued with the vision
Joel articulated –
A soil that had no fear, rather it
that be glad and rejoice; animals who lived without fear, had lots of food to
eat; a green planet with fruit trees bearing lots of fruit; people would be
glad and an abundance of resources would abound, where everyone had plenty and
were satisfied.
Why did the people not live into the
prophet’s casting of God’s vision?
It was going to mean changing
attitudes by articulating and then living new principles and values. It was
going to mean responsibility for one’s self, one’s community, the animals, and
earth. In Joel’s scenario the people are the cog at the centre of the wheel –
healing and wholeness do not happen unless the people (as a people) are on
board to what is necessary to build the vision.
Elections are the time, perhaps, when
we are most willing to listen to prophet-sorts or to imagine
what-could-be. For a month we have heard
parties and their leaders casting a vision of what the next few years would
like if we voted them in. There have been lots of blogs, editorials, opinion
pieces that oft times passionately express varying visions of
what-could-be. Eyes are looking forward,
but, and it is a big but, are the people looking forward to building and trying
something entirely new. It would take a
lot of passion and energy. It would time consuming and it would require
responsibility. But wouldn’t it be worth
doing? The positives surely out way the
negatives.
What I appreciate about the readings
for Thanksgiving is the giving of direct steps people can take to get their act
together --- actions that lead to the forming and articulation of principles
and values to live by.
The letter to Timothy says: first of all, then, I urge that
supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings should be made for
everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a
quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.
Take those words to heart, on the eve
of an election, prayer for your leaders
--- with thanksgiving, none the less. In
the past few week, has the prayer you offered for our leaders equalled the
criticisms or opinions you have made?
… That was my hunch. Step one to responsibly living into a new
attitude and building a new world --- pray for leaders more than you talk about
them.
A quick peek at Matthew only need
include the final verse. Matthew goes on
about worry – which is a simple time waster, especially when the worry
described is self-centered. Matthew ends the visioning session with these
words: But strive first for the kingdom
of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Step two to responsibly living into a
new attitude and building a new world ---focus on others and not your
self.
The highlight of Thanksgiving service
for me is the altar display. As you know it is created by donations –not of one
person, but, rather, a people. Look at the abundance collected. Best of all it
is not for us, it is for the food bank to feed those who face a lack of plenty. This is a small example of people living into
kin_dom. One person’s cans of food make
very little difference, together abundance abounds.
Out of a value of thanksgiving and a
sense of abundance, go out this week praying for our leaders with prayers of thanksgiving,
and consciously focus on others, and not yourself.
Thanksgiving comes in fullness when
are living in kin_dom.
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