Today our church celebrated World Communion Sunday, which if you are familiar with the Christian calendar, was actually the 1st Sunday in October. Our church, Parkway UCC, is a bustling, busy place though, so for practical reasons, it was delayed until today. John helped serve communion, which included bread from Mexico, Italy, Germany, USA, and Ethiopia! I baked Ambesha yesterday to contribute, my favorite recipe from Extending the Table, but actually took the Italian focaccia during the service, and felt moved to make my own loaves for our meal tonight. It is inspiring to worship in a place that believes the global community begins within its very walls.
So was I moved during the service to also consider my many responsibilities as a member of the global community, including those in this upcoming election. I have very strong feelings about candidates and issues, some of which I have shared in this blog, but in order to be true to my faith and my God, I must cast my votes for those candidates and issues that act and uphold the work God wants us to do in the world.
This is what it means to me to be a spiritual voter.
First and foremost, I must vote November 6th. God gave me a brain and the resources to educate myself in the face of propaganda, fear and deceit, and no amount of ignorance, busyness, apathy or anger should ever be excuse to stay home on election day.
I must vote to serve the needs of the poor, the marginalized, the sick, the wounded, the weak, the many who suffer in the shadows of greed, ambition, and the bottom line. God's work is not clean or comfortable. It is risky, dirty, exhausting, expensive work that doesn't stop until human suffering is erased from the earth.
I must vote to preserve rights for all people, not to take them away. God created a diverse and robust humanity, but didn't grant certain people privilege over others. That is a human construct born of twisted words to justify our prejudices and status over those who were created differently than we were.
I must vote for social justice, education and equality, for all people. God didn't send a politician, lawyer or corporate big-wig as a model for how to live. He sent a teacher who modeled what true compassion looks like. It is easy for those of us with privilege to take for granted that which we have always had, but it takes courage and faith to keep inching forward in the face of complacency.
Finally, because it bears repeating, I must vote. As you all must vote.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Pad Thai (Thailand)
"Is it your wish to form and maintain the relationship of mother and son with this child, Sukris John?"
This was the questions posed to me this morning during our family's fifteen minute slot at district juvenile court. What a privilege it was for me to answer through tears in a shaky, yet resounding voice,"Yes!"
The question itself actually took me off guard. The judge had been asking basic things like our names, birth dates, and address. Even as she asked these questions, I was straightening Suki's sweater, redirecting his little hands from the microphone and surreptitiously sliding a copy of The Hungry Caterpillar into his reach. The relationship was in motion right before her eyes. But when she asked THE question, the reality of a million choices in a million moments over the last three years settled into place, and I felt such honor to accept what so many may take for granted.
And then it was done. After years of forms, letters, notorizations, background check after bank check after double check, there is now a birth certificate, a name change and citizenship. With only a few final loose ends (and undoubtedly, more bank checks), we were back to business as usual by 10:23 with day care, story time, Halloween treats, and laundry.
Of course we celebrated tonight with Thai food, Pad Thai, Mango Pad, Chicken Satay and more, ordered in from a local restaurant, eaten at the kitchen counter as we recounted the day, wiped up spills, and thought about what to pack for lunches tomorrow because parenting is every moment of the day, making a million choices to keep moving forward to meet the needs of your kids with love.
When we started our journey to become parents through adoption over six years ago, I never in my naivete imagined the depths of joy, tragedy, love, and grief that I would encounter along the way. If I were to be asked if I would do it all again, it would be a privilege for me to answer, maybe through tears or in a shaky, yet always resounding voice, "Yes!"
This was the questions posed to me this morning during our family's fifteen minute slot at district juvenile court. What a privilege it was for me to answer through tears in a shaky, yet resounding voice,"Yes!"
The question itself actually took me off guard. The judge had been asking basic things like our names, birth dates, and address. Even as she asked these questions, I was straightening Suki's sweater, redirecting his little hands from the microphone and surreptitiously sliding a copy of The Hungry Caterpillar into his reach. The relationship was in motion right before her eyes. But when she asked THE question, the reality of a million choices in a million moments over the last three years settled into place, and I felt such honor to accept what so many may take for granted.
And then it was done. After years of forms, letters, notorizations, background check after bank check after double check, there is now a birth certificate, a name change and citizenship. With only a few final loose ends (and undoubtedly, more bank checks), we were back to business as usual by 10:23 with day care, story time, Halloween treats, and laundry.
Of course we celebrated tonight with Thai food, Pad Thai, Mango Pad, Chicken Satay and more, ordered in from a local restaurant, eaten at the kitchen counter as we recounted the day, wiped up spills, and thought about what to pack for lunches tomorrow because parenting is every moment of the day, making a million choices to keep moving forward to meet the needs of your kids with love.
When we started our journey to become parents through adoption over six years ago, I never in my naivete imagined the depths of joy, tragedy, love, and grief that I would encounter along the way. If I were to be asked if I would do it all again, it would be a privilege for me to answer, maybe through tears or in a shaky, yet always resounding voice, "Yes!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)