Are We REALLY Paying Attention

The recent tragic events at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC have caused me to stop for a moment and ask, "Are we really paying attention?"  My heart breaks for the family and friends of those who lost their lives, as well as, the congregation, and we as a people.  I wish I didn't have to write in 2015 about how people are still judged by the color of their skin and not by the content of their spirits, souls, minds, and character.  But the harsh reality is that we as a people still are dealing with hatred and violence - on many levels.

Even though it's summertime, I am reminded of the Christmas message.  This isn't usually the time of year we think about Christmas.  In fact, we are about as far away from Christmas as we can get - both in the calendar year and in our solar system.  At the summer solstice, our earth is the farthest away from the sun that it gets.  Because we are so far away from Christmas, it's easy to forget about the unexpected message of new life and new hope that God brings us.  God hasn't abandoned us to the hopelessness that's so often found in this world.  God came up close and personal in the person of Jesus to teach us to seek higher ground, not just common ground, in the midst of our disagreements.  Jesus modeled real love for us, not just love the feeling.  Jesus showed us that love is about our choices and our actions.  Love gets involved.  Love speaks up for those who aren't heard.  Love lets go of self-focused agendas.  

For those who follow Jesus, not just believe in Jesus, let us remember that our faith is a faith of remembrance.  Since we can be easily distracted, God wants us to remember.  Remember the Christmas story, remember our baptisms, remember the resurrection promise, remember that God works through people.  

Let us remember to be more concerned with God's compassion instead of our agendas.  Let us remember to be more focused on who God loves, not who we dislike.  Let us remember to be more aware of others' concerns, fears, and plights instead of our own convenience.  Let us remember that we follow Jesus and need to be covered in the dust of our rabbi.  

May we always pay attention to what really matters.  And, may we have the courage to do what is right.  In the words of The Rev. Hon. Clementa Pinckney, the pastor of Emanuel AME who lost his life last week, "[to be] involved in the life of the community; [to change] lives and laws; [to help] people live better; freedom from sin, freedom to be full, [and] what God intends us to be; [to] have a quality in the sight of God...sometimes you gotta make some noise to do that...sometimes you have to march, struggle, and be unpopular to do that; sometimes you have to die..."

May we remember to die to self, like our rabbi did.  May we never forget!