Spreading the aroma of Christ

An aroma is a curious thing. It can bring back a precious memory. It can remind us of a person or an event. It can be familiar or unmistakable, and it can even create a mood or enhance our energy level.

Tiny, dispersed molecules can produce powerful aromas with a big effect. In fact, aroma therapy is a multi-million dollar enterprise, so powerful are its scents to people.

One of the most devastating effects of the coronavirus has been the loss of the sense of smell for many who have contracted COVID-19. There are even support groups for those who have lost their sense of smell, because it is so debilitating.

The Old Testament speaks of the aroma of burnt sacrifices on altars giving an aroma “pleasing to the Lord” (Leviticus 9:1). Through the centuries faith communities have used the burning of fragrant incense to symbolize the prayers of the people filling the air. The smell of it wafting through the sanctuary can add to an experience of the “holy.”

One of the joys of the season of Easter are the fragrant lilies and other spring flowers blooming in great abundance and reminding us of the rebirth of nature after a long winter season.

The Apostle Paul connected an experience of God’s presence with the sense of smell when he said to the church in Corinth that God “uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.” (II Corinthians 2:14).

How do we do this? It is not the kind of thing one accomplishes with air freshener or even with a church filled with holy incense. Spreading the knowledge of Christ is also not solely about book learning or teaching information about our faith.

It is more about a way of being that demonstrates Christ by our acts of love, generosity, humility and reconciliation. Like an aroma from dispersed molecules, small signs of Christ’s love can have a large, pervasive effect in the world. “Not all of us can do great things,” said Mother Teresa. “But we can do small things with great love.”

As “Easter people,” we share the good news of the resurrection; but we also live it in subtle, grace-filled ways. Like a fragrance that lingers, an act of selfless compassion or kindness lives on like nothing else.

Mary of Bethany humbly anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive ointment, and “the house was filled with the fragrance of her perfume” (John 12:3). It was her sacrificial, extravagant gift that was the real fragrance in the room. And just as Jesus foretold, the memory of her tiny gift has spread like a fragrance across the earth wherever the gospel is preached. (Matthew 26:13).

There has long been a sweet smell in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. It is chocolate. Milton Hershey, an early 20th century businessman, made a fortune on his chocolate business, especially with the iconic foil-covered “Hershey Kisses.”

His generosity to the community was as pervasive as the scent of chocolate. Hershey built homes, parks, schools, public transportation and an orphanage, to name a few of his philanthropic gifts (www.hersheystory.org). The goodness lingers on even to this day.

Pope Francis’ recent visit to Iraq has left a pervasive effect on the peace process between rival faith communities in the Middle East. Peacemaking through simple acts of conversation and respect can spread a scent of hope and reconciliation like nothing else.

Be the aroma of the knowledge of Christ where you live and have influence. Be the one to give generously, the one who crosses lines of division to extend welcome and kindness. Be the one who is willing to humbly engage in small tasks out of great love for Christ.

When you emulate Christ, even in small, sacrificial ways, God notices and people will notice. The aroma will be unmistakable, and people will gain a knowledge of God like nothing else. Never underestimate the power of the aroma of Christ-like actions.

Ruth Fernandez: ‘El alma de Puerto Rico’ (‘The Soul of Puerto Rico’)

A Women’s History Month Tribute

One of the greatest gifts that I have received during my time serving as the bishop of the Philadelphia Area has been my exposure to the profound giftedness of our diversity.  My personal background never exposed me to African American, Latinx, Native American, Korean, Indian and African cultures.  It will be my life’s journey to continue to explore the cultures, languages and perspectives of my many sisters and brothers with humble appreciation.

While attending the “Dismantling Racism II” training on February 27, 2021, I learned a great deal about the world of peoples of the Latinx communities, both in this country and in other parts of Central and South America.  The name Ruth Fernandez was mentioned, and her fame as a singer and a politician caught my attention. 

It is my honor to lift up her life and legacy during “Women’s History Month.” I give thanks for “Gracias Mundo,” the world that she loved and beautified. I give thanks to God for her witness and her heart.  Her signature song was titled “Gracias Mundo,” and there is much to celebrate.

Ruth Noemi Fernandez Cortada was born in 1919 in the Belgica community of barrio Cuarto in Ponce, Puerto Rico. She and her four siblings were raised by her grandmother, after her mother died when Ruth was only 6 years old.  As a child, she had a strong interest in music, and at the age of 14 she was singing for local radio stations. 

It wasn’t long before popular bands were hiring her to perform in nightclubs, at dances and casinos.  From there she had a series of successes as a popular singer with a recording contract.  She was known as “El alma de Puerto Rico hecha cancion” which means, “The soul of Puerto Rico turned song.”  Her voice interpreted the longings and hearts of her people.

Ruth Fernandez was also known to be the “Rosa Parks” of Puerto Rico.  When preparing to enter the Vanderbilt Hotel in San Juan she was informed that Afro-Puerto Ricans needed to enter by the kitchen door.  Instead, she entered the front door, “dressed to the nines,” and after that event, the discriminatory practice was stopped. She was proud of her racial heritage and her home city. She called herself “La Negra de Ponce” (“The Black Woman from Ponce”).  How encouraging and life-giving was her witness and example.

The musical career of Ruth Fernandez continued for decades, and she performed all over the world. She was the first Latina to perform at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.  She sang for soldiers during World War II and the Korean War, especially to encourage troops of Hispanic descent.

She continued to break barriers and was the “first” to do many things as a woman and as a woman of color. Throughout her life, Ruth Fernandez received numerous awards and declarations, all befitting of her trailblazing persona.

It is important to note that she was not only known for her famous contralto voice. Ruth Fernandez also had a heart for justice.  From 1973 until 1980, she served in the Senate of Puerto Rico, representing the district of Ponce as a member of the Partido Popular Democratico de Puerto Rico.  During her tenure she worked for reforms for the poor, including those living in the United States. She advocated for better working conditions for the artist community and supported the development of young musicians and artists. 

One of her mottos for life was “Arriba, Corazones” (“Lift up your hearts”).  It is clear that her life was a beacon of light that gave inspiration, hope and justice to millions. Her trailblazing shoulders have been the encouraging elevation for many who have come after her.

The worth of one’s life surely depends on how one’s legacy continues through lives that are touched and that prosper as a result.  Thus is the life and legacy of Ruth Fernandez: singer, justice trailblazer, confident woman, and soul of Puerto Rico. 

Resources:

• “Ruth Fernandez” https://enwikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Fermandez
• “Boricua Pionera: Racial Trailblazer Ruth Fernandez” by Tomas Pena, July 24, 2020 https://jazzdelapena.com

Anti-Asian Violence: A call to teaching, preaching, speaking out

NBC News 10 reported on March 18 that Pennsylvania and New Jersey are among the states with the highest number of Anti-Asian violent crimes. According to “Stop Asian Americans Pacific Islander Hate” (AAPI), 68% of anti-Asian attacks were directed against women. 

Over the past year, despite hate crimes being down for the most part, anti-Asian attacks have become much more prevalent.  Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic physical assaults, verbal harassment, civil rights violations and online harassment against Asian Americans had increased by 200%. Terms like “The China virus” or Kung-flu” to describe COVID have had much to do with the current hate violence.

What a terrible thing! What a tragic world! We mourn with the people of Atlanta who have experienced thd senseless, evil mass shooting of eight people, six of them Korean women, March 16.  As United Methodists, “we deplore acts of hate or violence against groups or person based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender, disability, status, economic condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or religious affiliation.” (Social Principles, Paragraph 162)

As a nation, we need to teach and speak to one another about tolerance and cultural respect, so that more people see our diversity as a source of giftedness and not division or threat. In our churches, we need to preach and model respect and inclusion at every level of congregational life. That includes creating diversity and inclusiveness in funding and leadership opportunities. 

A practical thing that we can do every day is to speak up when we hear racist remarks that denigrate any ethnic group or that characterize people in negative and stereotypical ways.  Words can hurt, but words of truth can heal and create justice.  Let us be creators of “justice and joy”* and make a better world and a better church.

*From “For Everyone Born, a Place at the Table” Worship and Song #3149)

Read “Conference members join outcry against anti-Asian American racism.” 

 

Fasting unto the Lord

During the Season of Lent, the church is called to a time of holy introspection, fasting and prayer.  We are to contemplate the life and example of Jesus, hold our life up against his, and make some honest assessments.

Through that process, a time of repentance and change for the better is the hope, but none of this sounds particularly enjoyable. In our society self-abasement, guilt and personal accountability are increasingly counter-cultural.  “Have it your way!” “Just Do it!” “Ain’t nothing gonna break my stride!” are slogans of the world and of America’s sense of privilege.

Fasting has a long history of spiritual benefit, and the season of Lent is a good time to encourage it in your churches.  In the ordination vows of all Methodist pastors since our founding, John Wesley asks, “Will you practice fasting and abstinence, both by precept and example?”  The ordinands standing before me always say “yes.” 

During this season of Lent, let us all, clergy and laity, take this seriously, because it has great spiritual and temporal value. I can’t think of anything more important than our spiritual journey with the Lord, especially during these transitional times in the life of the church and of the world.

In his book Freedom of Simplicity Christian author Richard J. Foster writes:

Fasting helps to give us balance.  It makes us more keenly sensitive to the whole of life, so that we do not become obsessed with our consumer mentality.  It is something of an inner alarm to help us hold our priorities straight, to give us a sense of spiritual sensitivity. Fasting reveals the things that control us.

Fasting usually involves abstaining from food or drink for a period of time in order to focus on prayer and meditation. Fasting can also include abstaining from other things, such as the social media, shopping or any form of personal addiction.

Whatever the nature of the fast, it should always include a time of intentionally listening to God’s Spirit deeply speaking to you about the things you need to change, to give up, or to do. Sometimes God’s voice takes a long time to discern, and this involves patience, self-control and surrendering to God’s timing.

In addition, true fasting has “roller blades” on its sneakers.  The Old Testament prophets derided the temple religious rituals that had no temporal signs of behavioral improvement. It was often an empty show of piety in order to look holy and not grounded in true worship. Zechariah 7:5 prophesied, “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted?’” Likewise Isaiah 58:3 said, “On the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.”

Fasting and abstinence is not a piety show. True fasting is a call to social justice. Again from the prophet Zechariah, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner or the poor; and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.’” (7:9-10)  

The prophet Isaiah emphasizes loosening the chains of injustice, untying the cords of the yoke, setting the oppressed free, sharing food with the hungry, providing shelter for the poor wanderer, clothes for the naked, and taking care of one’s own family. (58:6-7).

Now you might be thinking, “I don’t oppress people, and I help out at the food bank at church, and I am not responsible for the refugee children at the border being separated from their mothers.”

True fasting involves mercy as well as justice. Injustice has complicated layers of political maneuvering. It is just plain difficult! That why most people would rather feed the hungry than tackle the root causes of poverty and suffering.  It is our Christian duty to take this on, and scripture backs it up.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.  If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” (Oxford Essential Quotations, 5^th edition)

Fasting and praying can give you some “next steps.” And God will be with you on the journey.  I pray you are having a blessed Lenten Season, full of serious contemplation, as well as a response to injustice. The two are inseparable. 

500,000+ COVID-19 deaths in the United States

‘Strive to infuse life into this season of death.’

By Bishop Peggy A. Johnson

I remember sitting in a nursing home in Catonsville, Maryland, with my aged Aunt Inez years ago.  Born in 1894 she had seen a great deal in her many years of life, and I was just in my twenties at the time. She shared with me her many memories of years gone by, especially about the “Spanish Flu” of 1918. 

She was about my age at the time and there were no vaccines, no cure, just a call for people to stay in isolation and in prayer. She said that that virus affected in some way every family in the little town of Lansdowne, Maryland, where she taught school. In the spring of the following year they counted their losses and grieved a deep and long grief.

At the time, I thought this was an unbelievable tale of how things were in the “old days.” I never once imagined that one day I could be living during a devastating pandemic.

It has been a long year since we first got the news of this worldwide crisis and began to close down churches for in-person worship. Last March we could hardly have imagined that a year later we would be grieving 500,000 American lives lost to this deadly coronavirus.

Like my Aunt Inez, few if any of us have been spared the knowledge of someone in our lives—family member, friend, colleague, role model, church member—someone who lost a battle to this awful virus.  We share a common grief, and too many of us carry burdens of sorrow and helplessness.

Deep appreciation for ministry, compassion

At this milestone in our tragic tally of lives lost, I want to express my deep appreciation for pastors, laity and churches who have ministered and offered compassion and relief to countless numbers of people in their communities. The Apostle Paul describes well the strength God has given you for the task:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (II Corinthians 1:3-4)

I also call us to care for ourselves in these stressful times, regularly observing the Sabbath and engaging in spiritual, physical and emotional self-care. Rest in the promise that “God will go with you and will never leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6) And also, “Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31).

Strive to infuse life into this season of death. The church is founded on the resurrection of Christ and the sure and certain promise of life abundant and life everlasting. We rely on resilient life that springs from the jaws of death, on joy that comes the morning after, and on hope that burns brightly, even in the midnight hour.

Be hope-givers through the gospel

We are uniquely positioned to be hope-givers in this world through the gospel that we proclaim in Word and deed at this crucial time. Be a “resurrection hope-giver” for someone who is bound by deep grief. Never forget the power of simple words of kindness and acts of compassion.  In addition, do not pass up any chance to give a witness to the hope that is in you and that can inspire others to faith in Christ. 

My Aunt Inez also told me of the revival of religious fervor that happened in her community after the long siege of the pandemic of 1918.  Instead of being buried in inconsolable grief, the community embraced faith that spurred on a wave of community development and prosperity. 

Likewise, our sobering milestone of death can be a springboard to new life as only God can give it. Be a part of the new life that rises from this unique and terrible time in the history of our nation and the world.

I close with a hymn by our contemporary “sweet psalmist,” Rev. Carolyn Gillette

We Grieve 500,000

By Rev. Carolyn Gillette   
(Sung to the tune of “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded.” Permission is given for use in our churches.)

We grieve five hundred thousand, yet we can’t understand
We cannot grasp how many have died throughout this land
We cannot see their faces or hear the stories told
Of all the ways they blessed us, the young ones and the old. 

O God, we grieve the struggle of those who died alone
So far from friends and neighbors, from all they’d ever known.
We grieve for precious people who could not say good-bye
We weep for those, now mourning, who sit along and cry 

O God, we grieve for millions who now are unemployed
Who cannot feed their families, whose hope has been destroyed
We grieve that needed workers must worry for their health
While some with lives of privilege stay home and build their wealth

God of love and mercy, we cry to you, “How long?”
In troubled times remind us: You love is ever strong
Now as we grieve the suffering, Lord, show us how to be
A healing, loving presence in each community.

Black History MonthElijah Pierce: Telling the Story in Wood

Recently the Barnes Foundation of Philadelphia showcased the works of artist Elijah Pierce.  Born in 1892 in Mississippi, this son of freed slaves became a wood carver, barber and preacher. 

He migrated north to Columbus, Ohio, as a youth, where he set up a barber shop and had a woodworking room in the back of the store. There he designed hundreds of masterpieces using wood, cardboard, crepe paper, house paint, aluminum foil, glitter and rhinestones.

The topics of his many creations included Bible stories, nature, popular culture, politics and animals of all kinds.  Threaded through his work was his passion for justice. 

One of his wood pictures included the words “Your life is a book, and every day is a page.”  On the pages of his life, he created scenes of slavery in cotton fields, the horrors of slave auction blocks, and depictions of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Kennedy brothers who had been assassinated.   

Pierce created a work titled “Elijah Escapes the Mob.” It traces his personal experience of being accused of a crime he did not commit and being held in custody.  He gave a visual history of a country filled with injustice and inequality but also one of hope in God. 

Book of Wood depicts Jesus’ life

His most prized work in his extensive collection is the “Book of Wood” a huge wooden “book” with each 2 x 2 square-foot page depicting the life of Jesus (33 painted carvings in all).

Filmmaker Carolyn Allport produced a documentary about Pierce in 1974, 10 years before his death. “He was so genuine about everything he said about faith in God,” she wrote. “But social justice was the core of his message as an artist.” Indeed, the two should always be inseparable.

I honor the life of Elijah Pierce during Black History Month 2021. He used wood, paint and a carving knife to tell important stories.  How about you? Your faith in God should always be a message that is seen by the way you live, by the things you value and support, and by your creative outlets. 

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ and an advocate for social justice should go hand in hand.  Do people see that in you?  May “your life be a book and every day a page” that displays the goodness of God shared among all people. And may you commit to sharing that goodness in your corner of the world.

Sources:

·       Philadelphia Tribune, September 27, 2020 “Barnes Continues Inclusivity Mission with ‘Elijah Pierce’s America’ Exhibition” by J. Perry

·       www.enwikipedia.org “Elijah Pierce”  

·       www.npr.org “Aimed to do God’s Work in Wood”

·       www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/Sep/28/Elijah-pierce-woodcarver-amerian-art-racism

·       www.folkstreamsnet/film-detail.php?id=275 “Elijah Pierce: Woodcarver” (1974) Carolyn Allport producer

·       Also watch: “Get a Look at ‘Elijah Pierce's America' at Philadelphia's Barnes Foundation”  NBC10 Philadelphia

Confluence on Inauguration Day

The word “inauguration” (New Oxford Dictionary) means, “The beginning or introduction of a system, policy or period; the formal admission of someone to office; a ceremony to mark the beginning of something.” 

Next week our country will hold its Presidential Inauguration.  It will be in the foreground briefly against a current backdrop of political turmoil, last week’s violent assault on the U.S. Capitol, and a worldwide health crisis. And more turmoil, more attacks are threatened.

It is my prayer that on that day we can begin to heal and find ways to mend our chasms of deep division. We all bring converging ways of thinking, believing and being. 

There is a tiny city (population 780) in Western Pennsylvania, in a borough of Somerset County, known as “Confluence.”  It is named as such because it is a place where three rivers come together: the Casselman, Laurel Hill Creek and Youghiogheny rivers. When these rivers meet, there is turbulence but also the benefit of becoming a bigger river, which makes this area a great place to do fishing and boating.

Great things can happen if we flow in the same direction

Divergent political thoughts (be they Republican, Democrat or Independent) often create turbulence. If we can somehow manage to flow in the same direction, like these rivers, some big—indeed, great—things can happen in the future.

Everyone thrives when we work together as a nation for the good of all. At the end of the day, rivers are all made of the same water; and we are all God’s children made in the same image and likeness of God. We are all different by the design of our Creator, so that we can accomplish all that is needed through our different gifts and passions.

On January 20, 2021, may we inaugurate not just a new President or his new policies, but a new period of respect and cooperation that will yield peace and prosperity for all. May that be especially true for those who are poor and oppressed, who live in the dim margins of our nation’s bright political and economic fortunes.

This can only be accomplished as we seek to do the will of God, acknowledging and using the resources of the Holy Spirit. Psalm 85:10 expresses my prayer for the future of our country: that “steadfast love and faithfulness meet and righteousness and peace kiss each other.” May it be so!