Last Week Was Really Hard! I’m Processing.

St. Paul Says, “The Greatest Of These Is Love”…But!

In biblical Greek, there are two words that are translated into English as “time.” “Chronos” is the Greek word that denotes the ordinary passage of time; seconds, minutes, hours, days. Think of your watch as a chronometer, or, chronological as the placing of things in time order. “Kairos” time is God-ordained time, extraordinary time that pops out of ordinary time. Think of your wedding day, the birth of a child, 9/11, or January 6.

I have a penchant for applying those concepts of time to conversations that I have had with other people. I have “chronos conversations”; the weather has been great the past week, or, we had a great Italian dinner for our anniversary. I have also had “Kairos conversations,” the ones that I keep processing in my mind because they are deep and noteworthy. Maybe they are mystery, or maybe they are indicative of teachable moments. I want to share one of those conversations with you.

Last March, I got into a deep and lengthy email debate with somebody who I had pastorally counseled for many years. The debate was about how differently we felt about the 2024 presidential election. He said, “I think we both want what is best for the country but we’re coming at it from different directions. You think the country is in deep, deep trouble and I think we were about 2 to 3 months away from losing it completely and I thank the good Lord every day for the change (of presidents).” After many emails it became clear that we were not going to find agreement on this and that we were beginning to frustrate each other. We decided to put it aside. Nevertheless, I keep replaying the conversation in my mind. A Kairos conversation!

I share this excerpt from our conversation because I suspect that almost every one of you – Republican or Democrat – has had some sort of similar conversation. It is mind boggling that we live in the same country with people that we know and care about and yet, we interpret the times entirely differently! This is to confess that I may be wrong. I write with humility. I offer the truth as I understand it believing that I am earnest and diligent in my study, processing, and in the conclusions that I make.

So, here goes…

For me, last week was a really hard week in the life of our country! The beat goes on! In some ways, I’m finding life exhausting and frustrating under the current Administration, yet I also discern that I am resilient. The source of my resilience is my faith. From the “good soil” of my faith grows “the harvest” that is hope.

Yes, I know that in I Corinthians 13, the famous “love chapter of the Bible,” St. Paul writes those oft-quoted words that we have famously hear read at weddings, “And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” Who am I to disagree with St. Paul? But in these challenging times, I am feeling like the greatest of these is “hope.” Hope is enabling me to make it from one day to the next.

I’ll briefly review some of the events that made last week extraordinarily difficult:

First was the protests over ICE apprehensions of immigrants in Los Angeles that led to calling up the National Guard and U.S. Marines. The decision seemed visceral and premature. This was a blatant act of overreach and the denouncing of states’ rights. I have written often in this blog about biblical teachings regarding welcome of the refugee, alien, and sojourner in our midst. Mischaracterizing immigrants troubles me deeply. Later in the week, the president announced that he was creating ICE exemptions for immigrants who are working in farming, hospitality, and food service industries because they are, “good, longtime workers who are hard to replace.” I believe that describes most immigrants in all industries! It seemed like an insult to their human dignity. In other words, “We want undocumented immigrants removed from our nation…unless….we need them.”

Last week, we witnessed the beginning of war between Israel and Iran. This conflict has the potential to be devasting to the wellbeing of innocent people in many middle eastern countries and could have global implications. I firmly believe that while “negotiations” were ongoing between the United States and Iran to deter Iran from nuclear capabilities, the commencement of this war could have and should have been prevented. It is anybody’s guess what path this conflict will take and where it will end. The military capabilities of the combatants is disproportional. If this war is prolonged, might Tehran look like Gaza? Might residents of Jerusalem become victims of mass terror? It grieves me to consider how many bombs dropped on Iran will be labeled, “Made in the USA”?

On Saturday, we witnessed a military parade in Washington, DC. For me, it was reminiscent of what we see from petty tyrants in authoritarian countries; North Korea, China, and Russia, come to mind. Contributing to the frustration, the split screen broadcast “No Kings” protests across our country, evidencing how deeply divided our country really is. (Honest confession, I participated in a local protest. It was a true “love fest”! I protested because I believe that overreach of the executive branch and impotence of the legislative and judiciary branches are a threat to our democracy. In these times, We The People, need to step up.)

I borrowed this sign from another protester because it expressed what I felt in my heart last Saturday.

In Minnesota, we witnessed the murder and attempted murder of elected legislators and political leaders. The public outrage over these acts of violence and intimidation seemed quite muted. Are we becoming immune to it? This too, threatens our democracy.

Under the surface of the events of last week, the matter of the federal budget continues to simmer (as does the budget in the state of Ohio). I am reminded of the words that Jim Wallis has spoken for decades, “Budgets are moral documents.” Our budgets are indicators of our priorities. Although the Bible doesn’t provide us with specific details of legislation, we cannot allow our legislators to leave the values of faith outside the door of politics. For the 16 million low-income people who will lose healthcare because of this budget bill, Jesus says “That’s Me.” For the tens of millions of children who could lose critical food aid, Jesus says, “That’s Me too.” When an immoral budget takes from the least to give more to those among us who already have the most: it becomes a gospel issue. Likewise, when a state budget proposes to provide $600 million to a billionaire owner of an NFL franchise to build a new stadium while simultaneously reducing school lunch programs, Jesus says, “That’s also Me.” Our priorities are upside down!

It was a really hard week!

St. Paul wrote that the greatest of these is love, but in this Kairos time, I am being sustained by hope.

Next week, a team of thirteen volunteers from our congregation will travel to Roan Mountain, Tennessee, to assist those who suffered great loss from Hurricane Helene last September. This will be our congregation’s first disaster relief trip and a gospel-inspired addition to our church’s mission. We will bring along $5,300 of cash offerings from members of our congregation.

When I shared this news with somebody in my community, they seemed confused. They asked, “Aren’t they already finished with the recovery from that storm?” In fact, the recovery is just beginning…and we will be part of it! This practice of discipleship and faith expression…gives me hope!

I am deeply gratified that several of my local colleagues have expressed interest in adding disaster response to the mission of their churches. In July, I am going to offer a session with them and present the “blueprint” for disaster response ministry. I am quite certain that a number of those congregations will join for a disaster relief trip in the fall. This gives me hope!

Last Saturday, Pope Leo XIV presented a recorded message to residents of Chicago in the stadium where his beloved White Sox play baseball. The essence of his exhortation was, “To share that message of hope (God’s grace) with one another - in outreach, in service, in looking for ways to make our world a better place - gives true life to all of us, and is a sign of hope for the whole world….In this Jubilee Year of Hope (2025 is a “Jubilee” festival year in the Roman Catholic Church), Christ, who is our hope, indeed calls all of us to come together, that we might be that true living example: the light of hope in the world today.” Pope Leo XIV gives me hope!

If you are tired, if you are fatigued, if each new overreach of the Administration feels like water torture and injustice, I encourage you to keep hope. Hope is not the same as idealistic and unrealistic optimism. Hope is grounded in deep faith and love. Hope is grounded in the conviction that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. Feed your hope with a daily dose of kindness that makes the world a better place. Love your neighbor. Care for Creation. Give somebody a hug. Protest injustice. Pray. When the odds seem insurmountable, just do the right thing! You will feel hopeful!

Consider these alternative words of St. Paul, “Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5)

The greatest of these may be love, but hope feels like it is running a close second place right about now!