Humanity
Barbara Carter, Council of Twelve Apostles
(Adapted from Exploring Community of Christ Basic Beliefs: A Commentary edited by Anthony J. Chvala-Smith, pp. 77-78. A Kindle version is available at www.HeraldHouse.org.)
Jesus Christ, the embodiment of God’s shalom, invites all people to come and receive divine peace in the midst of the difficult questions and struggles of life. Follow Christ in the way that leads to God’s peace and discover the blessings of all of the dimensions of salvation. -Doctrine and Covenants 163:2a
Growing up in a small town on the Oregon coast was for me idyllic. I had extended family around. I felt safe, love, supported. My circle of friends didn’t change very much from the time I entered first grade to when I graduated from high school. I had exposure to another circle of friends and acquaintances through the faith community when we attended gatherings such as reunions (family camps), youth camps, and conferences. For me, though, there wasn’t a large distinction between family and the faith community.
There weren’t characteristics that set them apart from each other. Each was a homogeneous group that mirrored the other. I went to a small Midwestern college when I was 18. The people there shared many of the characteristics that I had experienced at this point in my life through my family, friends, and faith community. While there was some diversity, it wasn’t enough to challenge the status quo of whom I considered part of my world.
It is easy to read Galatians 3:27-28 and believe you are living it when the humanity you have experienced is consistent with what you have always known. This Bible passage reads: “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” And yet the beauty and challenge of being transformed in Christ invites us into relationships and places that expose the unknown, the different, and the uncomfortable. It is in this place I found a new journey that has led me to seek understanding about what it truly means to seek and desire a new humanity in Christ.
When I open myself up to individuals whose experiences, beliefs, and approach to life are different from mine, I am exposed, leaving me vulnerable. It is in this place that I have found space and freedom to try to see others as Christ sees them and to allow myself to be seen as well. I have been blessed to spend time with ecumenical, and to some extent inter-faith, groups. Here I have experienced the sharing of thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and positions that would normally create a negative and threatening environment. But because the need for us to understand each other and work together is greater than any single individual’s perspective, we have been able to reach moments when our humanity is not ultimately individual but is most fully visible and most fully shared in community. It is in moments like this that I catch a glimpse of the kingdom of God coming closer.
Prayer Phrase
“Practice Resurrection” (Wendell Berry).
Spiritual Practice
Breath Prayer
During this Easter season, we invite you daily into a breath prayer focused on resurrection. With each exhale, respond in a word or phrase to the question, “What is dying?” (fear, anger, assumptions, etc.) With each inhale, notice a response in a word or phrase to the question “What is rising?” (love, courage, trust, etc.) You may choose to use the same word or phrase throughout this season, or let each day bring its own unique response to this sacred pattern of dying and rising that is central to our faith.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
