The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman (excerpts from her poem at the inauguration of President Joe Biden, January 20, 202
When day comes, we ask ourselves where can we find light in this never ending shade? The loss we carry, a sea we must wade.
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And yes, we are far from polished, far from pristine, but that doesn't mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect. We are striving to forge our union with purpose, to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters, and conditions of man. And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us but what stands before us. We close the divide because we know to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside.
We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another. We seek harm to none and harmony for all. Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true, that even as we grieved, we grew. That even as we hurt, we hoped.
That even as we tired, we tried. That we’ll forever be tied together, victorious, not because we will never again know defeat, but because we will never again sow division.
Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid.
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So, while once we asked, “how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?”, now we assert, “how could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?” We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be, a country that is bruised but whole, benevolent but bold, fierce and free. We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation.
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But one thing is certain. If we merge mercy with might and might with right, then love becomes our legacy and change, our children's birth right.
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We will rebuild, reconcile, and recover, in every known nook of our nation, in every corner called our country, our people diverse and beautiful, will emerge battered and beautiful.
When day comes, we step out of the shade, aflame and unafraid.
The new dawn blooms as we free it, for there is always light if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.
When the daylight dawns, my brothers and sisters in Christ, what shall we tell Jesus? That we carried the Christ light, so that all could see? That we sought to love God, and self, and one another with all our hearts, and minds, and souls, so that everyone might experience that God-blessed opportunity to know how beloved they are, sitting under their own vine and fig tree…or, in the case of our New England geographic reality, sitting under their own pine or apple tree?!
But as much as we seek to live out the greatest commandment…as much as we strive to follow Jesus…we still struggle with darkness in our midst.
Jesus’s arrival is always seen as a light. A dawn. A new day. And he is true to his message, upon learning of John’s arrest. He not only up and moves, to fulfill the words of the prophet Isaiah, but he helps everyone around him to live out what he himself is doing, by saying simply this: “Change your life. God’s kingdom is here.” In other words, he is saying, “God is not ready to portion out vines and fig trees to all of the faithful. Not yet. You have some changes to make. And the kingdom is waiting on you, babe.” Well, maybe Jesus didn’t say “babe.” He might not have known that slang word, in the first century. But still, he’s got a point. He’s waiting on us to change.
And change is scary. We humans don’t do change well. We revert to that which is familiar. And familiar is not always behavior that we know is our best. It’s just so easy to fall back on familiar patterns, right? Losing our temper and yelling, when we know we should take a walk, cool down, then find calmer avenues of communication. Maybe change involves switching up patterns: instead of taking the safest path, venture outside our own box, to grow into the gifts God has given us. Maybe change involves not shrinking in the face of something new, because we are afraid we might not do it well, but rather, looking for God to point the way and exploring this new path with God holding our hand to encourage us. Maybe change means letting go of the embarrassment or shame we carry about some poor choices we’ve made in the past and no longer letting those burdens hold us back. For Christ has promised to wipe the slate clean! Christ has promised a fresh start, if we but follow him!
Then there is the morning after. No, not the morning after partying all night, when you wake with a headache the size of New York! The morning after you committed to this change, this transformation, this choosing to follow Jesus and really leave everything else behind, to focus on being a disciple of Christ. Choosing Christ is easy in the moment that we are carried away by the thrill of his words and experiencing the warmth of his love in our lives. But the next day, well, what if you look back and think, “what was I thinking?!”
Maybe Peter and Andrew had some misgivings about suddenly leaving their livelihood, to follow this holy man. It can’t be easy to be a fan club of two. Indeed, it must have been encouraging to Peter and Andrew, when they were following Jesus and suddenly witnessed James and John make the same life-changing choice they had made… leaving behind their livelihoods, and their father. The tiny fan club, the followers of Christ, had just doubled, instantly. And that was just the beginning for the love of God to be shared in this world, one disciple at a time…but not separately. Oh no, not separately. Together, disciples are a family growing in faith and following the light of Christ. That is how God’s love continues to be shared in this weary world. A world that desperately seeks what Christ has always offered, to those who choose change, who choose repentance, who choose new life in Christ.
As we can see, from the daily news, our country struggles to find a way to become a family. Instead of celebrating what makes us each unique and special in the eyes of God, we fall into old patterns, patterns of fear and divisiveness, rather than peace and love.
This past week, I attended a three-day clergy continuing education retreat at a lovely B&B in northern New Hampshire. We had a speaker who joined us to talk about some essential practices for followers of Jesus Christ. His name is Olu Brown, and he is a former pastor of one of the largest United Methodist churches in the United States. The book he shared with us is titled Faith: 4 Essential Practices. Those practices are: Waiting. Praying. Thinking. Acting.
Pretty simple, yes? I am still reading the book, but I am feeling led to use it as a study for this church, and our sister church. It has discussion questions after each chapter. There are only 4 chapters. But they are filled with wisdom and that intangible yet ever so necessary faith ingredient, which is Light. I feel the light of Christ illumines Rev Brown’s faith practice study, and that the way in which the book leads us through those practices will be a way for us to find a path in these challenging times…a path of faith with the Christ light illuminating where our steps will lead us, as God takes our hand and reassures us that He is with us, now and forever.
We have much work to do, as a people of faith in these divisive times. Christ chose not from the most learned and affluent people, for the disciples he would teach to become agents of change and love in the world. He chose people like you and like me. Just everyday people. And he promised his disciples would go on to do greater miracles of spiritual, emotional, and physical healing after he was gone. So when we get caught up in the negative self-talk of “what can I possibly do, as one person”…remember that by faith, God will use each one of us, to build the Kingdom, to bring the Light. Let us do our part to bring the Kingdom near, not separate from one another, but united, together, as sisters and brothers in Christ.
Amen.