Some Good News and The Good News

Some Good News: 

St. Mark has joined with New Hope Presbyterian Church to hire Dr. SueJeanne Koh as our Director of Adult Education and Resident Theologian. It is a shared position in which SueJeanne will be working with the appropriate commissions and committees from both churches and will particularly find ways for our two congregations to pursue our discipleship together. The job was initiated by Rev. Chineta Goodjoin and me, shaped by a joint committee with representation from both congregations, interviewed with representatives from both congregations, and will be celebrated by both congregations. As “Resident Theologian,” SueJeanne will also be encouraged to continue her research and writings in theology as it intersects with culture, gender, race, and ethnicity, so that we all can benefit from her work. 

And I want to give a loud shout out to an anonymous beneficent family who agreed to fund this position with an above-and-beyond donation. We all benefit greatly from this gift. Thank you.

 

And now, The Good News: 

We just came out of a season when we sang, “Go Tell it on the Mountain!” Alicia Adams shared a marvelous Musical Monday Morning Moment this week about that song and it is how we end our Christmas eve services whether in person or virtual. The strength of the song is that our faith is not “insider knowledge” that we keep to ourselves, but “Good news of great joy to all people.” As news, we are called to share it, to say that it is, what it is, who is blessed by it, how it happens, and so forth. 

 

So, as those who are called to go and tell, what do we say after a week when we witnessed a protest that turned into a short-term occupation of the nation’s Capitol building? It reminds me of a conversation in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Fellowship of the Rings, that takes place between the hobbit Frodo and the wizard Gandalf, deep in the mines of Moria. “I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

 

In moments like this, it is given to us to ask how we can faithfully “go tell it on the mountain” when events leave us speechless. What shall we say? 

 

Do we go the route of reconciliation, where we start by affirming that everyone is aggrieved in some way or another and try to build from there? 

Do we go the route of law and order, parsing the difference between protests or methods we believe in and those that we believe cross the line of propriety and safety? 

Do we name it as a variation of, or a cynical use of, John Lewis’ prescription for “good trouble”?

Do we aim for a higher ground of analysis, remembering that most of history saw little distinction between democracy and mob rule?  

Do we aim for sympathy, acknowledging that people who are aggrieved about their lives in general are willing to embrace conspiracy stories that center themselves as victims? 

Do we shake our fists at someone else's fist-shaking? 

Do we compare the robust response to BLM protests and the halting, delayed response to an action that was openly forewarned as a way of unveiling the depth of white supremacy in our governing and policing bodies? 

Do we look inwardly and wonder aloud how many of the folks who were gathered at the Capitol building yesterday were baptized and saw their actions as a way of living into their baptismal vows? (This weekend is “Baptism of Christ” weekend on the church calendar.)

 

And I'm sure there are many other routes that one can take. As those who are called to “Go tell it on the mountain,” I'm quite interested in hearing how you believe the church - that is, you - are called to proclaim the love and justice of Jesus Christ in the time that is given to us. 

 

Feel free to leave a comment if you want to let your thoughts be part of a larger conversation. I hope we can find ways to be thoughtful, open, and genuine, without simply falling into the kind of opinion-wars that often happen on social media. 

 

Mark of St. Mark