The Gift of Being
Text: Mark 11:1-11
Okay, aside from curling, and aside from vaccine date, tell me something about what’s going on in your heart? Of course, those vaccines are exciting, and for some, so is curling, but I want to hear more about what’s really going on deep inside of you. How is it with your spirit, your soul, your heart?
Are you getting sick and tired of the long haul of Covid-19? Are you feeling hopeful and optimistic about future? Or are you feeling empty or numb in what seems to be repetitive life like spinning your wheels without a sense of direction?
Whatever it is that you are feeling, I want you to take time to acknowledge it and honour it. I invite you to experience what you experience. You don’t have to pretend everything is okay. Instead, I want you to give yourself permission to feel and to be affected by whatever is going on in your life right now. You might want to take a deep breath every so often, because it can literally save you from feeling stuck. When you breathe, don’t forget to breathe out. It’s a practice of letting go. We can actually release our tension with a long and calming exhale. And every time we breathe in and out, we can also remember the breath of life that God gave us. So, we actually breathe the breath of God. We all need breathing space where we can pause and do nothing but just be ourselves. I invite you to take a breath and exhale together with me now.
For me, the pandemic has been like an intensive class where I could learn to be myself. Chances are that many of us are finding it hard to be productive these days. And I have learned to be okay with that. I used to feel guilty at the end of the day because of all the things I couldn’t get done in time. But the pandemic has shifted my perspective and values from doing to being. I have come to understand the ministry of presence as one of the most powerful forms of ministry: accepting, embracing, and celebrating ourselves not because of what we have accomplished, but because of who we are and whose we are. It’s an enabling ministry which makes all other ministries like serving, feeding, caring, and sharing possible. Jesus began his public ministry only after hearing the radical affirmation of God – you are my beloved, and with whom I am well pleased. It’s his being not his doing that was affirmed. Such inherent dignity is shared by everyone else as our creation story tells, ‘all of us are created in the image of God.’
I joined more than twenty people for an evening with Dr. Evelyn Forget about the Guaranteed Livable Income program. I admit how little I knew about it. The informative presentation and the engaging Q&A session really turned me on to the principle behind the program. And I find it very spiritual. The program tackles the endless cycle of poverty which causes all kinds of social problems: mental and physical health issues, domestic violence, housing, criminalization. The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls declares the guaranteed livable income as one of calls to justice. One of the Commissioners, Qajaq Robinson said, ‘a guaranteed annual income would allow space to breathe, a chance to move out of survival mode and live a life of dignity.’ I support implementing this program because it’s a way of practicing loving my neighbours as myself. Everyone, regardless of their status, work status, or their ability to work, is worthy of love and respect. We must recognize each other’s being itself as a gift without measuring what they can do for us or for the society. Now is the time to walk the talk.
I hear today’s story – Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem – with the insight that our being itself is a gift. I notice how well planned the event was. The village, two of the disciples, the bystanders, the young donkey that has never been ridden, Jesus’ procession, and the cheerful crowd, they all participated in this historic event. If it is a peaceful demonstration against the political and religious leaders, what message did Jesus want them to hear? Throughout his life and ministry, Jesus showed how everyone is equally loved and blessed by the same loving God. He broke down the social barriers by becoming friend of so-called sinners and the outcast. Recognizing the God-given dignity, he affirmed the gift of being in everyone. So, we can say that the demonstration – the entry into Jerusalem - is an expression of the good news that he had always proclaimed. What makes the procession stand out is its power of visualization. Everyone will remember the moment of celebration. Nothing grand was happening but sheer recognition of each other’s presence – the presence of Jesus, the presence of the young donkey, the presence of the disciples, and the presence of the crowd. Every being was celebrated and affirmed. Without a doubt, that message was a threat to the religious and political system. We know well how dangerous and subversive the simple truth - we are all born free and equal – was. It still is.
The recent rise of the anti-Asian racism, together with misogyny and stereotypes against Asian women, both in the US and in Canada shows we have work to do. Such hate crimes create a disturbing reality that many Asian Americans and Asian Canadians, especially Asian women and elderly people live in fear for their safety. Our fear of coronavirus will be gone one day. But unless we all work together to dismantle systemic injustices and racial divisions, there will be people who fear the racism virus. Recognizing the God-given dignity in everyone is how we can continue to follow Jesus today, and build the community Jesus modelled on Palm Sunday.
Kim Uyede-Kai, a united church minister in Ontario wrote an article, “Covid-19 and the Racism Pandemic We Need to Talk About.” I’d like to end my reflection with a quote form Kim’s article:
“As Church, we can be agents of peace in community and country, starting with ourselves. Let us live every day as though we are all related in love and that all are God’s beloved in this home we call creation. The curve of non-judgemental love is one curve we can escalate exponentially together.”
1- https://www.interculturalleadership.ca/wp-content/uploads/COVID-19-and-Racism-Pandemic-SWRC-revised.pdf