Are We Same, Or Are We Different?
Good morning Community of Louisville and beyond,
Sometimes when I write "and beyond" I hear it in Buzz Lightyear's voice. Feel free to do the same.
This past week Megan, the kids, and I road-tripped to Lincoln, Nebraska to spend some time with her family - four generations on the maternal side of her family. The first night together was curious and entertaining. We were in a recreational space that is attempting to recover from the flooding of the Platte River. Children in ages between 6-13 were trying to find a way to play soccer together using cardboard boxes as goals. The patriarch of the family insisted on cooking dinner. Most of the time I tried to keep our puppy from barking at everyone who was new and therefore scared him. It was a complex mix of familiarity that comes with family spaces and relationships as well as the new that comes with trauma recovery, growing up, and the changes that occur naturally with people of all ages and walks of life.
The whole experience reminded me of a lesson offered by Parker Palmer, a theologian and author who engages spirituality and relationships. I heard Palmer speak about five years ago after he wrote a book about exploring conversations amidst political difference ( Healing the Heart of Democracy: The Courage to Create a Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit). He said, at the time, he was often invited into congregations to help teach about diversity and provide exercises that would stretch the congregation to be more open to experiencing and practicing diversity. Often these congregations have - intentionally or unintentionally - formed to be visually lacking in diversity and believe they should primarily be more racially and ethnically diverse.
Palmer said that he uses a single question as a litmus test if a congregation really is ready to invite him in to expand their understandings and practices: tell me about the diversity in your congregation already.
Faith communities, like families including Megan's and mine in Nebraska, often spend a significant amount of time and energy talking about and leaning into similarities. It makes selecting games to play and meals to share easier. However, it is the diversity of thought and life experience that makes the playing of those games and the conversations around the dinner table interesting.
How would we, the people called Methodists who gather and live together as Louisville UMC, answer Parker Palmer's question? Could we clearly articulate our diversity? What would it be? Or, would we be asked to spend more time getting to know ourselves before we could engage in exercises that are known to make people and communities different on the other side?
I don't think I know us well enough to have answers to these questions, so I'm curious if you do. I look forward to worshiping with you on Sunday as we engage Paul's letter to the Galatians.
Peace,
Rev Elizabeth M Jackson
PS - [Correction] Last week when I said Paul wrote to Galatia, he did, but I meant to write Phillipi as a reference to last week's scripture. Thank you for your grace.
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Rev Elizabeth M Jackson
Minister at Louisville United Methodist Church
Serving Louisville, CO and beyond
revelizabeth@louisvilleumc.org
303-335-0781 (text or call)
Pronouns: she/her/hers