Remember the days before COVID, when someone would sneeze [I pretend to sneeze] people would politely say, “Bless you.” Now if someone sneezes we yell, “Get away from me!”
What has been missing lately is BLESSINGS. I mean I’ve seen drivers call out God’s name, but I don’t think they were blessing others.
When we bless someone, we are building them up, we are encouraging them. When we bless [I start piling up a stack of wooden blocks with each phrase] we say: good job with that, good work, that really looks good, you are doing well. Some years ago, I ran a Grandma’s marathon in Duluth. 26.2 miles, it was grueling. I remember people cheering me on with, “Looking good.” And I thought, “No, I don’t look good. I’m tired. I feel like cr.., like do-do.”
I know sometimes when I am praying with people, especially after a death or a hurtful situation, the best prayer that I can make is, “God, this really sucks.” [I knock over the blocks] because often we don’t look good, don’t have it together or don’t like what’s happening.
That became really apparent this past week with the insurrection of the US Capital. I hope that every one of us said, “This is awful.” The next morning during my prayer time, I journaled about the insurrection. Here’s what I wrote [reading from my journal] “Yesterday, the Capital insurrection occurred. I was not surprised. 4 people died [that is now 5 people] That is awful. It speaks to me . . . be of truth, listen to pain, act with kindness.
I’ve learned that “repeating a phrase” will convince some (or many) people of its reality. I’ve learned that facts are important not just rhetoric. I’ve learned that hurting people hurt people. I’ve learned that what happened in Washington DC is my fault . . . when I don’t respect others, when I look for power in myself without allowing God to be in charge. I’ve learned that ignoring others’ pain, doesn’t make it go away.”
You see it’s too easy to blame someone else for the damage, the destruction, and the deaths. But the person to blame . . . is me . . and you. When we have failed to bless one another, we start thinking bad of them. It’s when we stopped listening to one another (especially someone who thinks differently), or stopped being curious but instead dismissed that person, or that group as irrelevant.
In the gospel, God says of Jesus the same thing God says of you and me. “You are my beloved son. My beloved daughter.” [I rebuild the stack of blocks, with each I say . . ] There is goodness in all people. Each of us carries a little bit of the truth. Most, if not all, of us want goodness for all people. We are each God’s creation and God intends good things for all of us.
And here’s the best part, none of us are perfect. None of us have it all figured out. But God takes delight in the mess we are. God is our biggest cheerleader. God continues to believe in us, even if we can’t believe in ourselves. God has excitement and joy in watching us grow.
And even when our lives fall apart or when it feels like the country is falling apart [knock blocks over]
You see, we can create all sorts of reasons to push God away or to make God hate us. God simply says, “Oh well, let’s start again. And see what new shape will occur.”
You see, we can point out other people’s fault so readily. And, if we are honest, we can name our personal faults [with each one I build up the stack of blocks]
God, I am too fat. And God says, “OK.”
We say, “I keep forgetting things.” God says, “Yep.”
We say, “I continue doing the bad habit.” God says, “OK.”
We complain, “I don’t like the snow.” God responds, “I noticed that.”
We say, “I will never finish that project.” God says, “I’m here, how can I help?”
We are blessed by God. And we are, in turn, invited to go out and bless others. As poet John O'Donohue wrote of blessing in his book, To Bless the Space Between Us. “When we bless, we are enabled somehow to go beyond our present frontiers and reach into the source. A blessing awakens future wholeness... that is, a blessing "fore-brightens" the way. When a blessing is invoked, a window opens in eternal time.”
When we recognize God’s love for us, despite our many flaws, that God desires good things for us . . . we likewise acknowledge God’s blessing of us. And we are to go and share. If this country is to get better, it begins with you . . . and me. go bless someone.