Asking big questions

There are sacred moments in life that demand our attention. I don’t want to be too busy, too preoccupied to notice the weight and witness the miracle of the moments. It might be the mysterious union of souls in a wedding of loved ones or the wonder and magic of watching the birth of your child. Maybe it’s a moment alone on a mountain top watching the vibrant colors of a sunrise where the beauty of God is on full display and your soul cries out with all of creation. Sometimes it can be in sharing the final breathtaking moment of a spouse, parent, or friend as they exhale their last breath on earth. It’s in these precious minutes where we get fuzzy and imperfect glimpses of eternity. What are we here for? What’s the purpose of life? Where did I come from and where am I going, and what do I want my life to look like in the in-between time. We have this brief opportunity in the unfolding story of humanity to play our part and determine how we play it.

Today I listened to a portion of a filibuster speech by Cory Booker, a senator from New Jersey. He spoke on the senate floor for over 25 hours, challenging us to remember our past and reimagine our future. Love for God, humanity, and America spilled out of him passionately as he told stories of civil rights heroes, founding fathers, and personal accounts that have shaped his faith and views on life. I can’t say this was on the same plane as some of the miraculous moments I spoke of above, but this was undoubtedly a monumental day in history that will be remembered for decades to come. I think someday people will talk about the events of today’s filibuster and recognize the humility and courage displayed to America, calling us to ask a big question: Who are we going to be?

We face these big questions as a nation right now, grappling with issues of domestic economy, foreign policy, immigration reform, and countless other topics that have opinions divided as far as the east is from the west, and everywhere in between. The way we answer these questions can’t be overstated, as they are indicators of the priorities of our hearts, both as a nation and as individuals. When it comes to geopolitical relations, economic strategies, etc., we have to approach these large scale topics with the same litmus test we should use with the people next door. Am I loving my neighbor? Am I considering the welfare and good of others, or am I concerned only with my self? My comfort, my wealth, my safety, my, my, my. Where the people go, so goes the nation. When we are more concerned with our individual rights than the health and safety of others, loving our neighbor has taken a backseat to personal freedom. If lining the pockets with comfort and prosperity are prioritized over caring for the sick and vulnerable, the soul of the nation will wither. All the money in the world will not redeem a nation who abandons the orphans and the widows, the marginalized, the poor, and the oppressed, or as Jesus said, “the least of these”.

We each have to wrestle through these big questions, both individually and collectively. With mutual respect and love for differing opinions, we have to set aside selfish ambition, hateful speech, and arrogance that demands, “Me first”, and choose to prioritize “we” instead of “me”. We, as in all of us; humanity. I’ve quoted this from Mother Teresa before, but I really think it’s revolutionary and profound. The beautiful saint who dedicated her life to caring for others said this, “Where there is no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” I don’t belong only to myself. You don’t belong only to yourself. This is part of the messy, complicated, and beautiful thing we call community, whether in our homes, neighborhoods, churches, nations, or across the world. We, as human beings, are all in this together.

“Where there is no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

Mother Teresa

So I sit here tonight asking myself these big questions of life, and I ask you dear friends to do the same. Who am I going to be to my neighbor? How am I showing up in love for the people in my life? Am I prioritizing my own comfort, blessing, and prosperity, or am I desiring and fighting for the good of others as well? Will I stand for and love the marginalized, the oppressed, the immigrant, and “the least of these”? I pray for my own soul to not be cynical. I pray for our homes and communities to be places of refuge and safety. I pray for our nation to move in humility, kindness, and generosity in the world. And tonight, I pray for Mr. Booker and thank him for the courage to proclaim the love of Christ and love for our nation that have inspired me deeply.