Welcoming

A Thought for, Monday, June 22, 2020: Welcoming

“Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me.” (Matthew 10.40a)” First line of the Gospel lesson for Sunday the 28 June

Jesus is talking to his disciples as they go out to do ministry. I am adjusting to find my new ministry on this the first day of my second retirement. After the rains, I took my dog, Yoda-the Wonder Dog, this morning about 3:30 AM for about a half an hour walk -- the rain had bothered him. When I got back Pat was up and we decided to get up and binge watch to stay out of bed. I fixed us breakfast and then about 7:00 AM Yoda, having wolfed his breakfast down wanted to go for another walk.

When we go for a walk when other people are walking he searches for all the treasures of the universe. He knows who might have a dog treat in their pockets and will rush forward to greet them to complain how he is ill cared for. But power walkers and runners, especially girls, as they are passing us, he wants to sniff the air as they pass and enjoy all the pheromones left in the air. As I walked him he saw two young healthy women taking a power walk on the other side of the street and he headed toward them to get into step behind them. They saw him and cooed “Hey sweetheart, You are so cute!” and they kept on power walking as I said “Good morning”. I realized they were talking about Yoda and not me, and so, exhaled letting out my old fat man gut.

A few minutes later we stopped and I talked with a neighbor out on her walk. Yoda laid his body down after he realized she had no treats for him and I did not suck in my gut because I did not need to hope to impress her. She knew me as a neighbor, whose father in law I had buried, she was a volunteer, as had been my wife, at the Southern Shores Volunteer Fire department where I had been a Volunteer Chaplain for years, until the first retirement and she was asking about my wife's health. The space between us was not filled with ego stuff about what is in it for me, but about honesty and care.

I realized that often, when I was working for a church, I was aware that I was not just being me, but I was a paid representative of the church and anyone with whom I came into contact's opinion of the church would be shaped by how I acted towards them. I no longer had that agenda. What was going on, if what Jesus is saying is true, and whoever welcomes me welcomes him, is that God was there in the space between us. Jung used to have a motto carved above the door of his house: Vocatus atque non vocatus deus aderit, which is Latin, for “Summoned or not summoned, God is here”. It was the inscription on the shrine at Delphi where ancient Greek pilgrims would go to consult with the Oracle of Apollo to get direction for their lives.

God has been here today as I walked the dog, or fixed breakfast, or talked with my neighbor. God was even there, laughing, when I sucked in my gut.“Summoned or not summoned, God is here”