Reaching Across Divides

Rev. Judith Reedy preached an outstanding sermon Sunday that spoke to the creative ways people like you and me reach across divides of income, race, education, and cultural stances for the sake of what is good, right, and biblically true. “Act justly, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God” was the clarion reminder from pulpit and choir loft. Judith read a letter from our bishop, Ruben Saenz, Jr. to the Horizon Texas Conference who called us to this same mindset. He echoed the message of a letter that came out recently from the Council of Bishops, who shepherd all of the United Methodist churches around the world. We are sending both letters tomorrow in a dedicated email.

Like Judith’s message, our bishops are reminding us that as followers of Jesus, we must live out his message of unconditional love by reaching across all divides between people everywhere. There is no other option for those who claim the Christian faith. “Those who say, ‘I love God’ and hate their brothers or sisters are liars. After all, those who don’t love their brothers or sisters whom they have seen can hardly love God whom they have not seen!” (1 John 4:20). We have to be intentional to love those who are different from us. We have a good opportunity during Lent to practice that.

On Tuesday night, February 24, the Dialogue Institute of Dallas will host a Ramadan dinner for us. This wonderful group, of mostly Turkish Muslim background, will be our guests and our hosts! They come to prepare and serve us some favorite items for dinner as we join them in breaking their daily fast during their season of Ramadan, which overlaps with our season of Lent! Both of these seasons mark a time of prayer, reflection, and sharing … of reaching across divides to God and to each other. I hope you will register to join us for this very special evening.

We cannot fix all that divides and denigrates people in our world, but we can help create what Meg Wheatley calls an “island of sanity” (see her excellent book, Who Do We Choose to Be?). As Mark Miller says in his song, “God has work for us to do.” I can think of nothing else more important to do than reaching across divides, joining hands, and creating something better. I look forward to doing that with you this Sunday and every day.

Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,

Matt Gaston
Lead Pastor