Yogi, Yom Kippur and the Ponftiff - oh my!

Yesterday and today (9/22 &23) have been noteworthy days for both joyous and sad reasons.  I learned this morning that Phyllis Tickle, a prominent voice in emergent church theology and a devoted Episcopalian, died yesterday morning from lung cancer.  Her death (like all deaths) is sad as we have lost an amazing, faithful woman who offered a beautiful vision of the future of Christianity as we face a dynamic cultural shift.  Her death (like all deaths) is joyous as she is now part of the great cloud of witness at God’s banquet table.  She will be missed, but her work and spirit will live on, I have no doubt.
It was also sad news to hear that baseball great Yogi Berra died this morning.  While I am not a big sports fan, it is almost impossible to not know who Yogi Berra was and the great quotes he was known for.  “It ain’t over till it’s over.” “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”  In an odd way, I think Phyllis Tickle and Yogi Berra could have had a wonderful conversation about the Church!  And maybe they are.
Meanwhile, our Jewish brothers and sisters are commemorating their day of atonement, known as Yom Kippur.  It is the most holy of Jewish holidays and offers the opportunity for the community to repent of their sins, known and unknown, and be in right relationship with each other, God and the world.  It is a day of fasting and prayer, honesty and healing.  It is a tradition that Christians follow as well in our observances during Lent and Holy Week, and I offer my prayers on behalf of the persecution that the Jewish community has suffered from Christians who thought Jews needed to be eradicated.  May God teach us to live in harmony.
And if all of this was not enough, Pope Francis has begun is visitation to the United States with an official welcome at the White House this morning.  Fortunately God provided a gorgeous day for our American liturgy to take place.  Amid the flags and trumpets, the orchestrated movements of Pontiff and President was dignified and respectful.  The speeches touched on religious freedom while noting our need to heed God’s call to love our neighbor, especially those in greatest need – immigrants, refuges and the poor.  In our highly radicalized political atmosphere, it was a blessing that the Pope addressed climate change as a real and moral issue. 
Pope Francis inspires me in a way no other Pope has.  While I still disagree with much of the Roman Catholic doctrine, it is refreshing to witness a man who is truly humble and willing to get dirty with the poor.  He knows what it means to be marginalized and calls us to remember that that is where Jesus ministered and where his message took root, not in the palaces and state houses of his day. 
These events share the reality of our world – there are times for both great joy and sadness, repentance and reconciliation each day.  We can try to separate them, but a more truthful picture is to see them as part of the whole human experience and live in the tension that they show us.  It is in that tension that we meet and know Jesus, share in his life and mission, and teach a world in such need how to love.
In Christ,

Rev. Valerie+

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