Over the past several weeks, I have noticed the concept of “always connected” showing up in conversations with KOK folks. In a time of “Physical distance”, the church had and continues to learn new ways of staying connected – of seeing the work of the Kingdom of Heaven here on Earth.
A
friend sent me a poem this week that helped me see the power of meaningful connection,
even between people and nature. The author Lucille Clifton tells about a moment
where the miracle of connection came to her in the simple task of preparing
greens for a meal.
Cutting
greens
curling them around
i
hold their bodies in obscene embrace
thinking
of everything but kinship.
collards
and kale
strain
against each strange other
away
from my kissmaking hand and
the
iron bedpot.
the
pot is black.
the cutting
board is black,
my
hand,
and
just for a minute
the
greens roll black under the knife,
and
the kitchen twists dark on its spine
and
i taste in my natural appetite
the
bond of live things everywhere.
by
Lucille Clifton From An Ordinary
Woman published by Random House. Copyright © 1974 Lucille Clifton.
In
this poem we hear the “taste in
natural appetite for the
bond of live things everywhere.” A place
where the blackness of Lucille Clifton was seen, heard, and loved. She saw
elements of herself in nature and with this was seen and “connected” to
something more than herself. In this moment of connection, Lucille felt like
kin to the world around her.
Last
week First Communion Class held a zoom lesson – people were sharing things
about life that can sometimes make them feel “crabby”. I shared a frustration –
the struggle of accomplishing all the things that need to be “done” in a world
with what needs to be done always changing.
Before
anyone could respond with words, one student raised their hand high and made a
sign with their hand. They boldly held up their hand: pointer, index and ring
finger folded towards their palm and thumb and pinky standing up straight. The
thumb pointed to them and the pinky pointed to me on the Zoom screen…
Their
mom noticed my confusion at this new sign and explained. “This is the
sign for “connected”. We learned to use it in online school. Whenever someone
shares something that we have felt or experienced, we are encouraged to make
the sign, “connected”.
Wow
– in that moment I was encouraged and felt a sense of connection. A young
person and I, even though our situation and experience were different – still had a connection. In
this Zoom meeting, we were able to support and encourage each other. Since
then, the sign of “connected” is one that I have added to my vocabulary.
I
share with you today to help unpack this story of Jesus feeding the 5000 and
their families. I think, a lesson we can learn from today’s gospel, is about
“connected”. This story of “connected” is an example of the shift to
“relational ministry” Jesus was teaching the disciples about the Kin-dom of
Heaven.
The heart
of the Kin-dom of Heaven is distinctly different than the focus of the world.
The Kin-dom of Heaven makes miracles our of a sack lunches, but the world has
no care of sack lunches and those who are hungry. The world and the Kingdom, or
Kin-dom of heaven have vastly different perspectives. The world focuses on
self. The Kin-dom of heaven focuses on forgiveness and connection of all
people.
A
word about the use of the word Kin-dom.
In
my preaching and writing, whenever I encounter the phrase “Kingdom of heaven”,
I insert the word “Kin-dom”.
The
tweak of omitting the “g” helps to refocus the meaning of Kingdom to the
connectedness – the kin – the ever-growing, ever-challenging call for
Christians to live for and with fellow humanity as “kin”. (Kin-dom)
When
I use the word “Kin-Dom” to describe the work of God in the world – I am
reoriented by a gospel that expands my idea of “connection”.
The
use of the word “Kin-dom” helps us see, hear and seek the voice of Jesus
calling Christians to be led into a space of “always connected” – instead of
disconnection, distain and dehumanization of people.
In
this lesson of Jesus feeding the 5000 (and their families) I see more than the
miracle of food being served. I see a miracle as the disciples’ focus is
shifted from a world view of a group, to a Kin-dom of Heaven connection with
people. The disciples are coached by Jesus to go from seeing a mass of people –
to engaging with them – getting to know them as real people with real need for
connection.
At
the beginning of that miraculous day, a small child and Jesus had Kin-dom of
heaven focus. At the end of the day, the
focus of the “always-connected Kin-dom of God” was lived out in the disciples
and the 5000 (and their families) as they became aware of their “kin-ness” with
the help of God.
What
do you think this miracle of feeding the 5000 (and their families) has to teach
us today?
As
church, we are called to care for the hungry – and later this month, KOK is
engaged in a sack-lunch assembly for our kin from Brown Memorial. This is
Kin-dom of heaven action.
This
action, and other actions like the LWR backpack project – and the fundraiser
for Inter Faith Works - are ways the church live into this Kin-dom of Heaven
“always connected”.
As
people, the sharing and giving of material things is a way that we show love
and care. But caring and connection is not limited to material things.
The
action of caring for people in Jesus name, is a broad sweep of possibility:
from poetry, to pack lunches – the possibility for connection is expansive!
Jesus
expanded the understanding of kin and kin-dom for the disciples in a way they
never saw coming. Jesus work shifts human focus from self; to a focus on
relationship of “always connected” with God, others, and self.
I
had an experience of eye opening “kin-dom” in being taught the sign “connected”
by a first communion student. It was a “loaves and fishes” moment for me. It
was a place where I felt seen, heard and loved. Much like I imagine the 5000
(and their families) felt seen, heard and loved – in addition to being fed.
Providing
food and needed resources is part of the churches’ calling to serve others; but
the miracle Jesus invites us to imagine - is an earth where all people kin.
Jesus
calls the church to an “always connected kin-dom relationship with all
people”. If we can see each other – all people of the world - as kin, imagine the miracles waiting just
around the bend.
This
miracle of loaves and fishes calls us to shift from a perspective of me and
they to one of “we”. This shift to the “we are always connected kin-dom” is not
a fast fix – it an eternal one.
This
always-connected kin-dom of God is challenging.
·
It
calls us to situations that seem impossible.
·
It
calls us to kin that we do not yet know.
·
It
calls us to be students in building relationships.
·
It
is a way of living out empathy that makes a long-lasting change.
·
It
may take a lifetime to learn...
This
space of cultivating “always connected” – especially in this time of response
to Covid-19 – is a place of ‘we’ re-learning how to build and cultivate
relationships in all parts of our lives: family, friends, work, politics,
recreation, and church.
Grace,
love, empathy and forgiveness are the tools to open eyes, overcome conflicts,
and have our hearts opened to seek the miracle of “always connected kin-dom of
God.”
The
calling of God’s kin-dom is the life Jesus calls us to live.
The
kin-dom of God, requires a re-focus on being a part of a “we”: a person in a church
community, a church in the ELCA, the ELCA as part of the global Christian
church, a global church that is part of the church universal and the great
cloud of witnesses. We are “always- connected” – and are called to work for the
miracle of heaven’s connection – here on earth.
Part
of the miracle of “always-connected” is learning history, both in the church
and the world and learning from it. This process of learning history is not
always a pleasant task. We learn things that we wish never would have happened.
We long for a way to make things right – even if we were not personally part of
the wrong. However, when we live as “We”, as we live as “always-connecting-
kin-dom- of heaven”; we have a responsibility for caring for the whole.
· In Christ, we are fed, seen, loved and sent out.
· In Christ, we are kin.
· In Christ, we are the miracle of becoming and ushering in the
kin-dom of heaven, here on earth.
· In Christ, in our variances, differences,
and distinctions; we are “always connected”.
In
poems of cutting greens, in first communion class, in bag lunches, in book
group, and in this lesson of miracles and beyond – we are connected. AMEN
Matthew 14:13-21
13Now when Jesus heard [about the beheading of John the Baptist], he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 15When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16Jesus said to them,“They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” 18And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 21And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
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