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Hello St. John’s Family,
Speaking truth can be an incredibly heavy burden to bear… especially when the truth one has seen or experienced does not align with what many want to hear. The inevitable byproduct of that heavy responsibility is conflict; conflict that manifests within each person tasked with proclaiming truth, and often, conflict between that person and the broader world, who struggles with the truth they’ve heard proclaimed.
Yesterday, the world learned of the death of Sinéad O’Connor, the Irish singer and artist. Known for her incredible voice – and her propensity to offend – O’Connor was someone whose 56 years of life was defined by conflict. I was a teen when her rendition of the song Nothing Compares 2 U catapulted her to international acclaim and fame. Even a high school guy like me, who wasn’t into “sappy” songs, could not deny her talent and captivating voice. Shortly afterward, she became internationally reviled for her act of tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II as she concluded a song on Saturday Night Live. Her reason: the Catholic Church was turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to children who were being abused by priests.
Was her act disrespectful? Yes. As well as prophetic. The song she sang that night, War by Bob Marley, largely consists of quotes from a 1963 speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations by the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I. The thesis of those quotes: until all humans have basic rights and racism is abolished, humanity is at war. O’Connor, a childhood victim of physical and sexual abuse, extended that message to call for justice for abused children long before anyone was willing to listen.
For some – including myself for many years – it was very difficult to view Sinéad O’Connor’s actions as prophetic. Which is interesting; I had read of God’s instruction to the prophet Isaiah, to go about life naked and barefoot for 3 years in an act of warning (Isaiah 20) and I wasn’t offended. And I’ve read of the prophet Hosea, charged by God to marry a prostitute, and have children with her as a testimony against Israel, because that’s what God’s people were doing when they forsook the Lord (Hosea 1, and repeated in Hosea 3!). While my eyebrows raise a bit at that one, it’s in the Bible. O’Connor isn’t, and her actions made me uncomfortable.
Perhaps, though, that’s the point. Until we experience the conflict and pain that others – and God – experience when sin and injustice occur, it’s highly unlikely we’ll listen, much less work to help bring about the change that’s needed. I am now haunted by the thought of how many children around the world may not have suffered abuse if others would have listened to Sinéad O’Connor in 1992, instead of focusing on the disrespect of her nonviolent prophetic protest.
When I look at Jesus’ life, I see a very different response. Time after time, Jesus paused, interacted with, and listened deeply to those on the fringes of society. He didn’t see people defined by mistakes, or by physical or mental illnesses; Jesus saw someone of worth, no matter how rough around the edges they were. I must believe that Sinéad O’Connor was someone who Christ would have paused and listened to, and I think we – Christ’s Church – need to learn from her life. After years of conflict, struggle, and pain, I pray she is now experiencing peace; I also pray the witness of her life will help us learn to listen and respond to others more like Christ Jesus did.
This (and every!) Sunday, we have the opportunity to return to God, listen for God’s still, small voice, and experience the power of God’s grace as we worship. This week we’ll hear Paul’s powerful assurance that nothing – in this world or beyond it – can separate us from God’s love because of the work of Christ Jesus. We’ll also share in the joy of celebrating a baptism at our 10:30 service. I hope you’ll read Romans 8:31-39, then join me in worship on Sunday-
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Brad
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