Did you know that
yesterday, May 10th, was National Clean Your Room Day? I thought, according to my mother, that was every
day! Today is National Eat What You Want
Day…but only if you cleaned your room, Mister! Tomorrow is National Odometer Day, which
makes me wonder, why is that a thing?
Yes, we could be critical
and cynical, make a sarcastic comment about how there is a day for everything. Or, we could laugh and hold this lightly, be
in on the joke ~ find the joy in these days.
Yes, it is a little strange to have a day designated to hummus (which is
on Friday) and apple pie (also Friday ~ so your menu for that day is now
planned!). But I also think that there
is joy in celebrating the obscure and odd ~ like National Dance Like a Chicken
Day on Saturday. Too often we are caught
up in the heartbreak and we wonder, “Where is God? Why doesn’t God just swoop in like a
Superhero and solve all these problems for us?”
This is an ancient question. When
we read Scripture, we see questioning has always been part of the human
condition. You could turn to the stress
and struggle of the people in Egypt enslaved.
They are liberated, only to wander in the wilderness for forty years ~
that’s a long time and a lot of walking.
They reach the Promise Land ~ yay!!
But Moses dies before crossing over ~ gratitude and grief sit
side-by-side. The people of God settle
in, but immediately they want a king, someone to rule them, tell them what to
do, even though they have God’s guidance and fled from Pharoah ruling over them
and telling them what to do (notice the contradiction?). Over the years the kings are fully human, they
do good things and some not so great things.
Eventually, the people are conquered and carted off to live as
foreigners in a foreign land of Babylon.
Prophets try to call people back to right relationship with God. Often, the prophets words to change hearts fall
flatter than my jokes on Sunday morning.
Eventually, God enters this world in the vulnerable form of a baby born
to unwed parents and laid in a manger ~ how is that for a grand
entrance? Jesus was a poor, itinerant
preacher from a minority religion, who is eventually crucified as a common
criminal of the state on a cross ~ when you hold our sacred story this way it
really does give us pause to ask: what really is the definition of
successful? And sprinkled throughout
Scripture is Sarah laughing; David dancing before the Ark of the Covenant;
Jonah being swallowed, gulped, by a whale; and Jesus laughing as he tells parables
that perplex us still today.
Joy is built and baked
into the story too. Heartbreak and hilarity are all part of the
holy. We just tend to focus on one or
the other. So today, May 11, thank a
receptionist and school nurse ~ both of whom are to be honored today. Tomorrow write a poem in honor of national
limerick day (It is a thing according to the internet). And on Saturday, do something to honor
National Stamp Out Hunger Food day as well as practice National Decency Day. On second thought, let’s make every
day feeding others and national decency day for the rest of the month and year.
Now, if you excuse me, I
need to get ready for Sunday. No, not my
sermon. May 15th is national
take your parents to a playground AND national chocolate chip day, which I
intent to celebrate.
Prayer: Thank you, O God,
for this day. This incredible day. This day that holds more than I could ever
explore or exhaust. Thank you for ways
that I can laugh, make a difference, and get caught up in Your unfolding
story. Help us discover ways You are at
work in our lives and world. In the name
of the One who taught us how to show up and open up, Jesus the Christ. Amen.
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