by Senior Minister Rev. John Morehouse
With spring blooming around us and summer just around the bend, I find my mind wandering as if the re-emergence of life were somehow disrupting the cold march of days our struggles remind us of. Spring is, in one sense, a disruption. And in another sense, it’s not so much a disruption as it is a reminder to pay attention to what matters most. What matters most to you? For me, it’s that life always finds a way to continue. Even under the direst of circumstances. When the earth was enveloped in the gray cold of an endless winter after an asteroid hit the earth near the Yucatán, 66 million years ago, 75 percent of all species were wiped from the face of our planet. And somehow life found a way. And from little shrew-like mammals, we evolved. I keep that in mind whenever I see a mouse.
There is a great deal that is disruptive about the world we live in now, from rapid climate change to troops in the streets. We need some disruption but not at the cost of people’s freedom. This is why I urge you to get involved in one of the peaceful protests this coming Saturday. What is happening in our country right now is not normal and we must side with love in disrupting that as well.
Much is made in our capitalist economy of the power of disruption. Disrupting the old way of doing things in favor of something new and better is considered highly valuable in our economy and society. While that might work in technology and business, I don’t think it works in congregations. Congregations derive their strength and identity, in part, from maintaining traditions and relationships that shelter and heal from the constant change of modern life. Congregations provide a steady presence of love and acceptance in a world that seems to be about anything but love and acceptance. By maintaining our beloved community, we are providing a safe place for us to discover what matters most to us and helping us change our lives and our world.
While constant disruption is anathema to congregational life, some disruption is necessary. There is a natural and necessary tension between the way things have been and the way they could be. It’s important to give up a bit of that tension in favor of new ideas and new ways of doing. My hope for you all is that you will find a healthy balance between retaining what is sacred and welcoming those who are new and bring with them new ideas. Only in this way can the Spirit of Life move in the heart of compassion and through the hands of justice.
I will be out of the office for most of the summer. If you have a pastoral emergency, please let me know through our website. Someone from our Pastoral Care Team will get back to you as soon as possible.
The regularity of the seasons reminds us that nature keeps her own sacred rhythm even in the midst of a changing planet. So too, can we, as people of faith, hold on to what we love with one hand, while reaching for new life with the other. Happy summer to all!
Yours,
Rev. John