I spent this weekend with Diocesan Council and Standing Committee up at ECCO. And on Friday evening, our discussion was focused on how we--that is the Diocese of San Joaquin--how we can be a place of sanctuary for the most vulnerable in our communities. And along with that, on Saturday, we played with the question “does it matter if we’re here”. Now let me give you a little context for those two pieces…
Of course, churches are and have been, places of sanctuary. But the question we’re wrestling with is how do we exercise that ministry in light of the current political climate. Never before have we had a situation like we have currently where churches and schools are now being targeted for ICE raids. If you aren’t familiar with what I’m talking about, I’m referring to the fact that in Alexandria Virginia, at the Rising Hope Mission Church, which hosts a warming shelter for unhoused people, ICE agents waited outside until several Latino men came out at the shelter’s closing, where they were surrounded, pushed against a wall and checked for identification to verify their immigration status. Friends, this is not normal. And it’s not gospel living.
Because of this incident, because faith communities are stepping up and asking the questions, we are faced with this question of sanctuary in a way that we haven’t been faced with it before. And so in the coming days, you will be hearing from Bishop David on the recommendation of the Chancellor, Council and Standing Committee, that we do some discernment, some listening, and allow ourselves to be guided through the process by those who know best how to respond. In other words, stay tuned because information will be forthcoming.
And this issue of sanctuary, among many of the issues faced by the people of the Central Valley such as trafficking, mass incarceration, poverty and homelessness, leads to the other issue that we wrestled with this weekend--does it matter that we’re here. Again, let me put this in context, and specifically, your context. You all have a feeding ministry and it’s my understanding that you’re in conversation about expanding that to include Sundays, correct? Would the community of Hanford notice if you closed? Would it matter? Of course it would! The people who come to eat, the people who seek solace in this place...it would matter immensely if you were not here. And that’s not including all of you here in the pews...if Church of Our Savior was suddenly not here, where would you be fed and cared for?
And this is what ministry is all about--how we love one another, how we care for one another, how we make our little corner of the world a little easier for someone else. It’s not about buildings and stained glass windows and pulpits...although, they are wonderful and part of our home. But ministry is in here (the heart). That’s what matters.
So when the writer of Leviticus recalls the story of God instructing Moses on how to guide the people, not only do we hear pieces of the Ten Commandments, but what’s really going on here is discipleship 101--how to take care of each other, how to be in relationship with each other, how to love each other. God doesn’t tell Moses to tell the people “ love one another because you’ll get a pony in heaven” or “because it’s popular thing to do”...instead God tells Moses to tell the people to take care of each other, to love one another, because it’s holy.
Becca Stevens, the priest who established Thistle Farms--do y’all know Becca Stevens? I don’t want us to get too far off track, but Becca Stevens is an Episcopal priest who helps women who were in the sex industry come off the streets, get clean and sober, and then works with them to establish job skills through Thistle Farms, which is both a cafe and a facility that makes organic skin care products. And the motto of Thistle Farms is “Love Heals.” Anyway, I follow Becca Stevens on Twitter, and on Friday this was her post: “Let’s pledge our whole lives to pouring out love for the whole world. Because we want to become the embodiment of love itself.” And this is exactly what Jesus is talking about in Matthew when he says: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you... Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This “perfection” that Jesus speaks about is all about love--it’s about loving everyone, regardless. It’s about being the embodiment of love. It’s about caring for each other. It’s about figuring out how to meet people where they are and loving them. It’s about the healing power of love. To love everyone--even your enemy--is holy work.
So I’m going to digress one more time, ok...hang in there with me. A few years back, I was at a women’s conference in Los Angeles and the guest speaker was Jane Williams--the former Archbishop of Canterbury’s wife. And Jane said this, which has stuck with me all these years. She said, when we hang our signs that say “All Are Welcome” we better mean it. Because if we put conditions on it--like you’re welcome if you think/act/believe/look like me--then we’re going to be the only one in the pews. To say “All Are Welcome” means ALL are welcome, it means ALL are welcomed in love; it means ALL are loved.
Friends, I suggest that you keep this in mind as you celebrate your history in this place. How are you doing the holy work of loving, healing and welcoming ALL? My prayer for you is that you be perfect in your love as God is perfect in God’s love for ALL of us. Amen.