Thursday - May 11, 2023
Dr. Pat Saxon
READING
“All the lonely people. Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people. Where do they all belong?"
Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison
SCRIPTURE
Psalm 25:16
Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.
WORDS OF HOPE
Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General, has declared an epidemic of loneliness in our country. The causal factors—which are multifold—have grown over the last decades to the point where one in two people today experience “measurable levels” of this painful condition. Its invisibility, though, is part of what makes it so insidious. The dark shadow in which it hides allows our mental, physical and collective well-being to suffer grave consequences (Murthy).
“When people are socially disconnected, their risk of anxiety and depression increases. So does their risk of heart disease (29 percent), dementia (50 percent), and stroke (32 percent). The increased risk of premature death associated with social disconnection is comparable to smoking daily — and may be even greater than the risk associated with obesity.” These are troubling realities.
Compounding the ache of disconnection is the sense of shame we often feel in acknowledging our loneliness—as if there’s something wrong with us or we’re just not likeable, valuable people. Murthy recounts an intense period of his own loneliness after his first appointment as Surgeon General had ended. After a time of collaborating with colleagues about important matters and traveling extensively, loneliness overtook him—in part because he had neglected his friends and relatives while caught up in the whirl of energy and responsibilities with his role.
Fortunately, he did reach out and his loved ones created a loving and therapeutic web of connection, with regular contact, to lift him up. Now, in his second tenure, he sees how debilitating and dangerous loneliness can be and has proposed a national strategy to alleviate this health crisis.
Murthy’s story touched my own. Though by nature, I love my solitude and contemplative time and have dear friends, I recently experienced an extended bout with loneliness. I too was reluctant to share it—partly because of the shame and partly because of my mental lists of all I had to be grateful for and why I should not be lonely. I knew, though, that withdrawing further was not healthy, so I reached out to a trusted friend and shared where I was. Even then, I can still hear the way I hurried the telling as well as the attempts to minimize my feelings.
I encourage you to read Murthy’s story, his discerning assessment of our condition, and his multi-point plan for addressing this epidemic.
As individuals and as a faith community, we can respond to this crisis. Think about someone you know whom you haven’t seen or heard from in a while. Reach out—not just via email or social media contact. Call and hear their voice and let them hear yours. Plan a visit or meet up for coffee or a meal or a walk. Caring contact and nature are holy balms.
We can also make even our “casual” contacts with others more meaningful by offering our full presence and attention. Listening matters.
Finally, encourage someone who is disconnected to come to church with you or meet you to make blessing bags or volunteer at BACH. Serving others lifts us out of ourselves.
PRAYER
God, sometimes we are truly desperate for you—and for human presence. May your Spirit come to us in our need and send us those who will companion us on the way. Amen.
DEVOTION AUTHOR
Dr. Pat Saxon
Need More Inspiration? Read our Daily Devotions
SCRIPTURE John 14. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. WORDS OF HOPE Ripples in a Small Pond Consider peace. Lao Tzu gave the formula for peace when he said, “If there is to be peace in the world, there must be peace in the nations. If there is to be peace in the nations, there must be peace in the cities. If there is to be peace in the cities, there must be peace between neighbors. If there is to be peace between neighbors, there must be peace in the home. If there is to be peace in the home, there must be peace in the heart.” The individual directly affects the world. When there is war in the heart, there is war in the world. Each individual has the power to affect this world positively or negatively, and either way, we have to live with the consequences. When a person has no values, the world will have less values, and in the end, our world will have no value. We are plagued with corrupt world leaders because it is us who are creating them. Unless we realize that we are all living in a world made smaller by our connectedness and that one pebble causes ripples in the whole of a small pond, then the world will never be at peace and the surface of the water will never be still. When you do not value life, all life, everything alive will be in danger from you. The gravity cannot be underestimated because your life and what you choose to do with it, matters. Believe that you can affect this world, change this world, and better this world. We are contagious creatures. Our love is just as contagious as our hate. The common denominator behind Lao Tzu’s formula was you and me. PRAYER Divine Spirit, As the world suffers from one plague after another, we realize that we are all connected. Help us to live with love towards all that You made. Give us the grace to love ourselves and be at peace. Bless You Great Spirit. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jonathon McClellan Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE Luke 24:13-34 That night at supper table the stranger took the loaf of bread, and he blessed it, broke it and gave it to each of them. Immediately, their eyes were opened to recognize him as their beloved Master Jesus! With that recognition, Jesus disappeared from in front of them. WORDS OF HOPE People celebrate Eastertide for many reasons. The ancient pagans celebrated this time of new birth for earth’s plants and animals. It marked a new beginning and refreshment for their lives after a long cold winter. Early Christians added to this tradition their remembrance of Jesus' resurrection and their promise of new and eternal life with him in heaven. That hope broke loose the chains of the old and opened new prospects for growth in their spiritual lives. In the little town where I grew up, Easter Sunday was such a time. Added to those thoughts of celebration was the possibility of a new suit and shoes to wear to church for my brother and me. For our mom it was a new hat and for our dad, it probably meant a leaner wallet to pay for all of it. The family would assemble at someone's house and a dinner with far too much food was always gorged down by happy celebrants. Easter Sunday was anticipated and celebrated with great joy. No one wanted to miss Easter. We are still in the Season of Eastertide. What does the Easter Season mean to you ? That's a really important question to ask oneself and get a good solid answer. Does its meaning seem to be a superficial celebration, or is it an opportunity to reflect on the hope and joy of relationship with God now and forever? Does it encourage you to plunge deeper into a spiritual journey with guidance of the Holy Spirit? Does it confirm and strengthen your desire to live a more vibrant life following the teachings of Jesus? Meditate about this for a few minutes before you begin today's activities. How will it change what you do and say around others? Will these thoughts improve your Christian witness to the world? PRAYER My God, I come before you in this moment of quiet. I want to be fully present to you so that you can speak to my soul and enlighten my mind. Motivate my hands and feet into ministry which honors you, and in all things that I do and all that I am, may you be glorified and manifested into this world. May your presence which is expressed through my life become a blessing to others. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
READING “Betrayal by strangers is hard enough, but betrayal by those closest to you is a killer. It destroys trust, it robs the past, it deadens the heart.” Barbara Brown Taylor WORDS OF HOPE He’d been with Jesus for the long haul—for the healing of the blind and the feeding of the multitude. He saw him turn water into wine at the marriage at Cana, witnessed Lazarus wakened from the tomb, walked hundreds of dusty miles talking of the kindom. He was not a fringe member of the followers, but a trusted disciple, the manager of the money, the one who kept food on the table and provided for the poor (Taylor). And when the disciples gather for the Passover meal, Judas sits in the inner circle, his feet freshly washed by his servant-Lord. Jesus calls him out—though not by name: “One of you will betray me,” “one whom I have given this bread when I have dipped it in the dish” (John 13: 21, 25). As betrayal pierces his heart, Jesus stays at the table. He feeds Judas and stays at the table rather than casting him out from the fellowship. And even after Judas’ dark purpose sends him into the night to collude with those who would crucify Jesus, his Lord offers a new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.” And, oh, what an extraordinary love it proves to be. Taylor continues: “Judas is indispensable to our understanding of holy communion….His presence is our lasting reminder that this is a meal not only for the good, the right, the faithful among us, but also for the crooks and double-crossers, the spies and imposters. It will reveal us for who we are…and that knowledge may send us into the dark, dark night. But it may also allow us to stay put, clinging to the edge of the table for dear life if need be, or better yet, clinging to the presence of the Lord at the head of the table, whose faithfulness does not depend on ours and whose death-defying love knows no end.” PRAYER For all the times we betray others and ourselves, we thank you, O Christ, for your redemptive love. For all the times we cling to you for dear life, we thank you, O Christ, for your wondrous love. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dr. Pat Saxon
SCRIPTURE Luke 2:13-17 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” WORDS OF HOPE In the last few days, we have experienced the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. If we have been fully present to these days of Holy Week and Easter, we have encountered many emotions, with the faith that now we are each filled with resurrection joy and hope. Like those on the road to Emmaus we too are thinking and talking about everything that has just happened. I often wonder exactly what words the disciples used to talk about their firsthand experiences with the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. Though I like to think that I have the words to express what is in my thoughts and on my heart, as I bask in the resurrection light, I find my own words inadequate to describe the journey I have just made—a journey from darkness to light, doubt to faith, despair to hope, and sadness to joy. As today marks both the birth and death dates of William Shakespeare (April 23, 1564-1616), it seems fitting to turn to poetry as a way to help digest and “discuss” what many of us may be feeling as we make our way through Easter Week. These are the words of Brazilian theologian Rubern Alves (1933-2014). What is Hope? What is hope? It is a presentiment that imagination is more real and reality less real than it looks. It is a hunch that the overwhelming brutality of facts that oppress and repress is not the last word. It is a suspicion that reality is more complex than realism wants us to believe and that the frontiers of the possible are not determined by the limits of the actual and that in a miraculous and unexpected way life is preparing the creative events which will open the way to freedom and resurrection.... The two, suffering and hope, live from each other. Suffering without hope produces resentment and despair, hope without suffering creates illusions, naiveté, and drunkenness.... Let us plant dates even though those who plant them will never eat them. We must live by the love of what we will never see. This is the secret discipline. It is a refusal to let the creative act be dissolved in immediate sense experience and a stubborn commitment to the future of our grandchildren. Such disciplined love is what has given prophets, revolutionaries and saints the courage to die for the future they envisaged. They make their own bodies the seed of their highest hope. Source: Hijos de Maoana (Tomorrow’s Children), Rubem Alves, Salamanca, Spain: Ediciones Sigueme, 1976. We each have a unique story of our journey with Christ. Each of our stories demands unique words. And, those words may change each time we experience the the Resurrection story. My hope for myself and for each of you is that during this Eastertide, we each take time in prayer and meditation to find our words, to write our stories on our hearts, and speak them out into the world as seeds of love. PRAYER Creator God, you are the author of my story. As I journey through these days, help me to discover the depths of your love and grace. Teach me to walk humbly in your footsteps, to live with purpose, and to carry your light and love into the world. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Kris Baker Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE John 18. 20-21 “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.” WORDS OF HOPE Have you ever tried to force someone to tell you something before they were ready? On this First Tuesday of Eastertide, I think about the many questions various people would ask Jesus without understanding that his complete answer may have been so complex, the meaning would be lost in translation. Jesus kept things simple in his confused and frightening world. He instinctively knew what they would understand or not. It reminds me of the Jack Nicholson line from A Few Good Men in which he played a military Colonel confronting Lieutenant Tom Cruz, "You can't handle the truth!" Jesus was the master of his own instinctive timing; he knew what was appropriate; Do this today, Do that tomorrow. The bottom line was for him to fulfill the promises of the bigger picture while creating a sense of freedom and understanding of their world, as he had come to see it. For those who manage groups of people or delegate information, with any luck, we follow a certain criterion for communication; from what is not enough information to too much information. Today's news is the prime example of how we must not be inundated with things that don't matter in the moment, but focus on the hope of tomorrow; the very essence of our faith. Things may look darkest before the dawn, but the sun is always shining, even on the cloudiest of days. As you think about our world in its darker days, remember we have faced greater challenges and bigger dangers. During the months of the Pandemic, we knew that the world would never be the same. This sounded bleak, yet we had been given an opportunity to tell the future story in its brightest outlook. We knew there would be loss and sacrifice, but together we forged a better future. Now, during Eastertide, we remember Jesus’ greatest Sacrifice, but we don’t have to wonder about the outcome. We can now handle the truth because we have been gifted with all the facts. The questions have been answered. Eastertide is here. PRAYER God of Resurrections, help us to be lovers of your truth and ambassadors of your hope. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Charlie C. Rose Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE Genesis 1.1-4 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now, the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light. And there was light, and God saw that the light was good and separated the light from the darkness. WORDS OF HOPE Happy First Monday of Eastertide! “But”, you might say, “Easter was yesterday and the chocolate eggs are already gone.” That would be true, yet in the wisdom of our spiritual ancestors, the story of the Resurrection is too glorious to be concluded in just one day. We have a 40-Day Season of Easter ahead of us. After Christmas Day, we celebrated the 12-Day Season of Christmastide to reflect on Jesus’ birth, but the creators of the Church Calendar are giving us even more time to contemplate the world-changing events of the Redeemer’s sacrifice and resurrection. The forty days also coincide with the amount of time the risen Christ was among us before the Day of Ascension. It is no coincidence that today’s lectionary reading is the first nineteen verses of one of the Bible’s most beautiful examples of Hebrew poetry, the story of Creation. It begins the entire library of books we call the Hebrew Scriptures. The first four verses parallel the Christmas story of the coming of the Light to the world. Eastertide is the time of year to remember the Light of Christ could shine on the Disciples in physical presence at any random moment, even when they least expected it, at a meal, on a fishing trip, strolling down a road; never announced, always inspiring. Today, we have the opportunity to experience that Light, too; to experience the presence of Jesus, maybe through the eyes of a child, the greeting of a long-time friend, the prayers of a stranger on social media, the longing of a person in need. Remembering that we are in Eastertide can be our greatest motivation to be conscious of living out the Light of Christ ourselves for all those diverse neighbors of our lives. This 40-Day Season can serve as a warmup to being the physical presence of the love of Jesus in a season that never ends. PRAYER May the coming Days of the Easter Season transform each of us celebrate the Living Christ by enriching all the ones who surround us. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dan Peeler Order of St. Francis and St. Clare