A Modern Day Nativity Scene

Two significant events occurred in the past week, one global and the other local. On December 5, Nelson Mandela passed away at the age of 95, and in the early hours of this morning a fire broke out in downtown Ripon. The memorial service for Mandela was attended by countless world leaders (well not countless, surely someone counted them), including four United States presidents. Firefighters, reporters and curious spectators viewed the blaze downtown this morning. At first, Mandela's death seems isolated from the fire in our small town. But though both of these events, I see a connection.

These events are what make us human.

I read the status of a Facebook friend this morning who wrote, "A man at the gas station (I was at the BP station by Save A Lot) noticed the fire department plate on my truck and asked if I was a fireman. I kind of laughed and told him no, but my husband is. He asked if he is at the fire in town and when I said that he's been there since 3:30 [a.m.] he told me to, 'tell him thank you for risking his own safety and life for others.' I just about tipped over --- couldn't be a prouder wife at that moment!"

You have probably seen in a newspaper or on t.v. the mounds of flowers laid by strangers in South Africa to honor the great hero.

Through the tragedy of this morning and the sadness and celebration of Madiba's passing we are reminded of the care and love in the world and in our community. My Facebook newsfeed is full of people listing the items needed by the Ripon families whose Main St. apartments suffered damage. Before 11 a.m., I was made aware of the ways First Congregational Church of Ripon is planning to help these families through donations of soup, money and other items.

From both of these sad events I am filled with joy. I feel jubilant that God has given us the gift of compassion that we can share with others. When we suffer heartache we don't suffer alone. God mourns with us and gives us brothers and sisters to carry the burden as well.

This year, in my own thoughts, I've explored what it means to be human. What I've found most compelling is how we react to times when life is really tough. From those moments I've seen the most beauty in people, and I believe that is a direct expression of God's presence within all of us.

From the physical loss of Mandela I have seen a world that has taken time to celebrate his beliefs, not because they were his but because they are all of ours: love, education, resilience, harmony. From the downtown fire I see care from the community for the families and business owners on that block, even when some of us don't know any of those affected by name.

In a previous blog post Pastor Joanna wrote that the image of baby Jesus is one of her favorite depictions of him. I would agree with her. I believe that visualizing Jesus as a tiny baby is an image of each one of us. We cannot avoid the pain of tragedy and we feel helpless when it comes. But we are surrounded by wise men, angels, shepherds, Marys, and Josephs who take care of us and who love us. 

We are made in the image of Jesus, but I also think we are made in the image of all who attended his birth, and in this way we have the gift of compassion and love to share with the world. 

Inspired

Today, I'm excited by the supreme court ruling on DOMA and Prop. 8 and I'm excited by a book I finished called "Behind the Beautiful Forevers" by Katherine Boo.

I believe we, as a nation, are finally raising our heavy feet from the quicksand of prejudice to lovingly embrace brothers and sisters who have been fighting a silenced struggle for too many lifetimes. And I'm overjoyed that regardless of the political outcome today, Americans across each state are and have been affirming their support of those who simply want their love for another to be acknowledged. I'm inspired by where we've come and where we're headed. I'm inspired by countries like Norway and South Africa and Belgium that set examples of LGBTQ acceptance for the U.S. I'm inspired by the way God is uniting lovers, families, churches and political leaders in the name of loving thy neighbor and loving God.

As I mentioned, I also found inspiration in the book, "Behind the Beautiful Forevers." I strongly recommend this book as it tells a non-fiction narrative of the lives of individuals of Mumbai's Annawadi slum. Boo spent 5 years investigating the daily routine, struggles and triumphs of children and adults who collect and steal polyurethane bags, plastic bottles, and scrap metal to sell in order to make a few rupees each day. What made this story incredible to me was not the squalor in which these people live, but the intelligence, thoughtfulness and hope of the people. Emotions and dreams very much like my own. Survival is certainly at the forefront of most Annawadians' minds, but extending deeper than that is their desire to achieve success for their family through a child's completion of school, finding a stable job or moving into a more prosperous slum. One boy described his goal to be "ice," which is water (something all people have in common), but a "better state." He understood the link that connects all individuals but knew he wanted a life of meaning for himself. He didn't want to be forgotten after he had died, but rather strived to make a lasting difference despite his grim circumstances. THAT is inspirational to me.

What both the court rulings and content of Boo's book reminded me today is that we are all one people united as children of God. God forgets about no one, even when our marital laws and living conditions cause us to forget about the basic needs of our fellow humans. As a Christian, I frequently feel like how Jesus' disciples are often portrayed, trying to do the right thing, but not quite getting it right. Jesus set the perfect example and the disciples did their best to follow, but often stumbled. As I learn more about the world I see that we have a long way to go before we are loving our neighbors and giving a coat to someone who needs it. We might think we're doing the right thing, when in fact, God's will is far from our actions. That said, I'm inspired by the dreams and realities of those who are making the world a more heavenly place in the U.S. in India and in many, many other places. I praise God for acting in the lives of these people, and I have so much hope for the future of the world.