The Poverty of Christmas

Advent brings into focus the first chapter of John and the Word becoming flesh and the Light coming into the world, into the midst of darkness and still shining. Jesus does not shun the darkness or hide from it. Wherever there is darkness, Jesus is. The Jesus Way can be seen in the darkness and followed. That is good to remember in days of darkness and deception. The One who is Light does not avoid those days or dark places. You can bet on Jesus being there. I also like to read the account of the birth of Jesus in Luke and Matthew. The poverty of the manger scene with the work animals and the lowly shepherds surrounding the young parents who barely had enough to live and were bringing a new life to share in their poverty. Jesus could have been born anywhere. He could have been born to royalty, or in a nice home owned by a successful businessman. Or maybe he couldn't have? This choice of birthplace was not random. It was a chosen place just as the parents were chosen. This was who God is. The God who came among the poor because that is only way this God comes. God is among the poor today. You can bet on that, too. Thomas Merton reflecting on the poverty of Christmas wrote, "I am certain when the Lord sees the small point of poverty and extenuation and helplessness to which the monk is reduced, the solitary and man of tears, must come down and be born there in this anguish and make it constantly a point of infinite joy, a seed of peace in the world" Merton was writing of his own vow of poverty but I take it to refer to anyone who is helpless and caught in "extenuating circumstances".  When we sweep the homeless from our urban streets, or keep the migrants on the other side of our walls or let world's homeless live in refugee camps indefinitely is it because we don't recognize the face of Jesus?

My maternal grandparents were Jehovah's Witnesses.  When I was young I had no idea what that meant only that they didn't believe in celebrating Christmas. At least, in principle that was supposed to be true. But Grandma, who married into the faith at the young age of 14, had her own ideas. She loved celebrating Christmas and kept her tree up til Easter. She celebrated birthdays and Christmas with lots of gifts. I guess Grandpa couldn't see the point of trying to stop her. When we visited them on Christmas there were lots of gifts under the tree. For us and her other grands of which there were many, remember, married at 14! When I met her she seemed really old and tiny. She had a little yippy dog and her youngest son lived with them although he was old, too, by then. Grandpa was severe and didn't say much. He was the true believer and next to his armchair were piles of Witness literature and his Bible. I guessed Christmas was all Grandma's thing. I figured the JW stuff came with the territory, how much about religion do you know at 14? I don't think she ever bought into it. She never proselytized and I never saw her reading any JW literature. I didn't hear of her going door to door like she was supposed to either. My mother filled us in on the major ideas of the religion but she broke away before she married my dad in her early twenties. It caused a lot of tension in the family. Her older brother was a strict follower. He lived with his wife in a cabin in the Adirondacks and didn't celebrate anything. He was never at the Christmas gatherings. I gathered there must have been some hurts in my mom's life from the decision she made to marry my father and take on his Methodism. Her dad was a baker and the family never had much money. All the kids had jobs to contribute to the family budget. Her father was a strict parent and she told me one time she was locked in a closet as a punishment for some misdeed. Otherwise, she seemed indifferent to being raised as a JW. If their strange beliefs (to me and later in life to her) ever had a hold on her I never knew it. Like she tossed off their belief that only 144,000 would be saved scornfully letting me know that the only reason they went door to door was to bulk up their chances to be one of them. She would say they don't really care about you! When Grandpa died first I learned JW's don't believe in funerals either. Although, Grandpa had one at the local funeral home and the local JW congregation attended, my parents and some of my mom's siblings had to come up with the money to pay for it. Seems JW's don't believe in life insurance either. When I became a pastor it was an uncomfortable topic around the extended family. JW's don't think too highly of pastors or of the churches that do. Pastors have a bad habit of fleecing their congregations and tend toward immorality, according to JW gossip. When I was young, my grandma told me I was her favorite perhaps because I was her first grandchild. She loved me still even after I became a pastor. I guess she didn't believe what JW's said about pastors either. I think of Grandma every Christmas and the way love can triumph over religion.

Homeless people

Sunday morning at Hyperion Brewery in Jacksonville, FL our church hosted a panel discussing the topic of Everyday Advocacy. Good turnout of 75 or so many of whom I did not know. Five panelists who had experience with homelessness everyday. Three of them had been homeless at one time. As one of them said, each one of us is only one bad day away from being on the street. There were many questions from the crowd. What about shelters? There is space in shelters so why don't more people take advantage of them? One panelist told us that shelters are not safe at least as perceived by the homeless. Their stuff gets stolen and sometimes they get beat up. There is paperwork, showers, shaving, and their clothes are irradiated to prevent bedbugs. Often on the street they sleep in pods taking turns keeping an eye out for trouble. Or they don't sleep whether they are at a shelter or on the street. Maybe that's why I see people napping in the public library or against a wall on the street.

The panelists talked about the difference between charity and advocacy. Both are needed but too often the charity givers are interested in giving what they want to give and not always what is needed. Don't we give because it makes us feel good. Yes, to that one. And I had not thought about the fact that there is a vested interest in keeping shelters going rather than ending homelessness. People will give to shelters. Politicians support shelters. They get money and provide jobs. Shelters perpetuate the problem if they are seen as a solution to it.

There is a new development planned for the river bank in the city, hotels, restaurants, entertainment facilities. We heard the development potentially will displace thousands of people who currently reside in the development area. With an affordable housing shortage as it is, where will those displaced people be going? Good question but who will be assigned to answer it, will anyone?

Homelessness is a problem in our city we are continually reminded. I take a trip downtown to the park near the library and there are lots of people hanging out. I stand by the library doors with over one hundred people waiting to get into a safe, air conditioned place off the street. While waiting for the doors to open I hear shreds of conversation. One man is worried about the new administration's policies about ending the program that has allowed Haitians to remain in the US since a hurricane displaced them. He is Haitian. Every one is polite and holds the doors open for others waiting for them to enter. They carry black trash bags with their stuff. I can see some food in one or two clear bags. They are there for the day. Inside people find their places. Surprisingly many are already reading books when I get in. Surprising? Do homeless people read too?

Yes, and they can converse and they care about their families and they face everyday problems just like me. They have to eat and stay hydrated in the Florida heat. They are not just in the library to hang out. They like to read, play chess, do art projects and talk to the staff and each other. One woman who goes to the church without walls, a church of the homeless in the city, talked about getting to know people on the street. Talk, touch, share a meal or coffee. Go to church in the parking lot downtown and sing, pray, hear the sermon and celebrate at the Lord's Table together. The homeless are not a problem, they are people.

The Sacrament of Footwashing

I had my feet washed today at noon in downtown Jacksonville. It was the annual Maundy Thursday foot washing service sponsored by the Church Without Walls. It was in a parking lot off a busy East-West artery. There was no shade and it was a hot and sunny Spring day. Several pairs of chairs were set up on a blue tarp. Young people ran back and forth with clean water. Towels, soaps and lotion were available at each station. After the foot washing a clean pair of socks were offered. Whether anyone wanted to get their feet washed or not there was a bag lunch, coffee and bottled water on hand. The foot traffic was constant over the lunch time hours. I had come to help out. Do you want your feet washed, she asked me. No, No, I'm good, I said, an image of my unsightly toe nails flashing through my mind. Soon, I was caught up in what was going on. The feet of the homeless were washed and their hands washed other feet. Several women who I guessed were older than I were busy washing and massaging people's feet. Massaging - with love and great care, and with prayer. Some praying during the washing but always after - hand in hand with the ones who came to be washed. Suddenly, I was aware of a woman beckoning to me to sit down at her station. Inviting but not asking, she had a look of don't go refusing this. You need it. I did but I didn't know it yet. Remember, I came to minister but not to get too close like some of us ministers do. This saint took hold of my feet as I mildly protested their less than perfect appearance. She smiled, want to see mine, she said showing me with her hands how hopelessly gnarled her toes were. She washed, she dried, she lotioned, and then she held my hands and prayed for me by name. A blessing upon me of God's unconditional love.

I was reminded of Peter's protest when Jesus bowed to wash his feet. Jesus told him a big part of knowing the presence of Jesus was to have his feet washed by Jesus. I went there to serve others. Jesus loved and served me through his body and the sacrament of foot washing.

Merry Christmas

I attended another children's Christmas pageant this month. I've lost count of how many I have seen. This one was pretty standard fare. The best part of it was our three grand kids who were in it. One an angel, one a cow (a cow?) and one wielding an axe (axe?).  When it comes to Christmas plays we can use just about anything. The three main scenes were the manger attended by the cow, a miracle with a fisherman casting, casting, casting while Jesus slept in the boat rocked by a storm, and a simple cross which we all knew represented the death of Jesus. Jesus did not make an appearance. Neither did any mention of his Jewish background. No resurrection. No sermon on the mount. Nothing about the kingdom of God. Perhaps, I was looking for too much. But, what do we want children to know of Christmas.

Christmas is not mentioned in the early church. There are only a couple of mentions of the birth of Jesus in the whole New Testament. Paul and Peter do not refer to the family background of Jesus nor do they speak of the need to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Only Luke and Matthew begin their gospels with the birth of Jesus. And they don't agree on a whole lot. Yet, we have taken their stories and mashed them into one and added some other stuff over the years such as cows.

I was raised in a Christian family but I don't remember much about church on Christmas. I know we did not go on Christmas unless it fell on Sunday. We did not make anything of advent or Christmas eve. Christmas day was a pandemonium of presents, one by one as my father handed them out and we four kids waited for each gift to be opened, proper surprise registered and then on until there were no more gifts under the tree. Usually, the best gift was saved by my Dad until last and my mother's last gift was the Biggest Surprise of all. "Oh, Larry, she said, you shouldn't have!"

Christmas is a big deal in our culture. It's Huge. At Thanksgiving we are thankful for all we have and then we wait until Christmas for more.

Now that we live in the South, our Christmas service will be a gathering outside with the Church Without Walls, a church for the homeless. There will be a traditional liturgy and our pastor will preach. There won't be any gifts unless someone brings some snacks and coffee, but we will be receiving. Like the first Christmas which was run by angels, visions and the Holy Spirit, we will be looking for Emmanuel, God with us. Hoping.

Barth flaws and all

I have read Barth (Karl, Swiss theologian, writer of the Barmen Confession of German Christians opposed to Hitler, mentor to Bonhoeffer, and massive thinker of theology). Eugene Peterson said every one needs a theologian. Barth was mine. His Church Dogmatics, so many thousand of pages, I could read him for the rest of my life. In time, as I read more about Barth's life I found out about Charlotte. She was a secretary, then assistant, then collaborator on Barth's dogmatics. Then she moved into his home and had a room off his study. She became part of the family, if awkwardly. She traveled with Barth and his entourage. She was affectionately known as Aunt Lolo by his children. Of course, there were rumors and gossip about the relationship between the theologian and his assistant. But, no proof. Then, a theologian reported some new letters had come to light. The Barth family had them and released them in order to set to rest some of the wilder gossip. The letters purported to be love letters ( I have not read them) showing a new level of affection between the two. Some Christian critics called Barth an adulterer and questioned his whole theological enterprise. Even if the adultery was emotional only - for I am guessing that there is still no proof of physical adultery. It is hard for some to believe there was not. So the question is what we do with Barth's theology.

Charlotte remained in Barth's household with his wife and children until she got dementia and was institutionalized. The Barth family including Barth's wife, Nelly visited her at the institution until she died. It was an unconventional relationship. One no one really knows or understands. There are the letters of such a personal nature it almost seems shameful to peer into them.

It is a relationship only the Barth family understood. What we have is the evidence of Barth's life, his stand against the Nazis, his amazing theology. Then there are the letters and the questions.

It's like Luther the great reformer and his anti-Semitism. It's like Calvin the great theologian of the Reformation and his approval of sending heretics to the stake. It's like the Reformers purge of Anabaptism, many Anabaptists drowned, for their different views of baptism. It's like the founding fathers who found a nation on freedom while enslaving men and women. It's like many of our great presidents who failed as husbands and fathers. It's like all of us, capable of great and good things yet greatly flawed.

There are those blind spots. Jeremiah warned the human heart is deceitful and humans are the last to know sometimes. Jesus had those words about seeing the speck in someone's eye and missing the log in our own. Jesus said, do not judge. He said, the one without sin can throw the first stone. That's why we are careful not to assign glory to human beings, or put them high up on a pedestal above us, or claim greatness for those adams among us  (born of the dirt). Our fellow human beings are capable of  great theology, heroic acts of sacrifice, healing works of mercy but we are all a mix of saint and sinner. Judge lightly, forgive greatly, and respond to failure with grace and humility. There but for the grace of God, go we.

Reading civil war history

Trump's chief of staff, John Kelly, made a comment to an interviewer recently calling Robert E. Lee an honorable man and suggesting the Civil War could have been avoided by a greater willingness to compromise. To those who disagreed he advised taking a history course. No doubt there are history courses that prop up Kelly's beliefs. The general history that is believed down south where I live now is one of confederate pride shown by flying the flag and making monuments to nearly every confederate military man. There is a battlefield near me that does a re-enactment of the battle every year honoring the confederate dead. There is no mention of who they fought or that dozens of black soldiers were slaughtered even as they lay wounded on that same battlefield. I have been reading up on the history of slavery and race relations in the south since moving here. I have some suggestions for reading material for John Kelly. One is The Half Has Never Been Told : slavery and the making of American capitalism. It's by Edward Baptist, history professor at Cornell, who grew up in Durham, NC. In his thoroughly researched book he left no doubt in my mind that the aspirations of the southern politician/slaveholders was to advance their slave holding culture throughout the United States. The labor slaves provided was so lucrative it is not too much to say that it was the economic engine driving the whole country. Cotton was King. Slavery was designed to get the most labor out of slaves to derive ever increasing profits. Cotton picking was brutal work and slaves were driven workers. As states were added to the Union pressure increased to keep the new states open to slavery. There is no doubt the southern political machine desired to expand slavery into all the land of the United States. The war between the states was already in the works when Lincoln was elected. The Civil War was the response to his election. Secession was an afterthought. The south believed it had no choice for it's agenda to be accomplished. Here in the south there is still talk about the great "lost cause" and the war for states rights and the honorable generals like Lee who fought for their principles. Principles that were based on the brutal subjugation of the black race whose lives were stolen from Africa, and continued to be stolen at every slave auction. Hardly, an honorable enterprise.