Brian Hiortdahl, Woodland Hills, CA

Warm-up Question

How do you stay in healthy relationship with someone with whom you strongly disagree?

E Pluribus Unum?

As the United States transitioned from one presidential administration to another, many families struggled with strained or broken relationships overheated by strong political disagreement. An article by Belinda Luscomb in TIME reports that, “a postelection Pew Research Center survey found that fewer than 2% of voters felt those who voted for the other party understood them very well, and only 13% of Joe Biden’s voters and 5% of Donald Trump’s voters expressed any desire for future unity. Luscomb’s article chronicles several studies and personal stories to illustrate a larger social trend.

“An October study from the University of Missouri found that since 2016, family interactions have been more likely to drive highly partisan relatives apart than bring them together.”  Family members are blocking each other on social media over political opinions.  Holiday meals have become difficult.  Parents and children view each other with mutual incomprehension.  One explanation, suggests Luscomb, is that “in the Trump era, many Americans don’t see voting as a decision about a set of policies, they see it as a moral imperative, an act that will make or break the country.”

Discussion Questions

• Which family in Luscomb’s article resonates most with your own experience?
• What unites the United States?  Is the slogan “E pluribus unum” (“out of many, one”) idealism or reality?
• Is there division in your faith community?  What is it about?  Is it strong enough to keep tear your faith family apart?
• In the months since the article was published, do you see people moving closer together, drifting farther apart, or about the same?

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Acts 1:15-17, 21-26

1 John 5:9-13

John 17:6-19

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

Every year, on the seventh Sunday of Easter, we “overhear” Jesus praying to his Father on the night before he died. After a very long section of final words to his overwhelmed disciples (see John 16:12, which is how I always felt in calculus), Jesus speaks a lengthy, powerful prayer for them (chapter 17). Today’s gospel is from the middle of that prayer, in which Jesus repeats his request “that they may be one, as we are one” (vs. 11, 22).

As Martin Luther would ask, “What does this mean?”   Does it mean being of one mind, with one singular focus?  Does it mean being united together with each other in loyalty that is stronger than disagreement?  Could it perhaps mean both and more? 

The disciples did not agree politically:  zealots like Simon would never associate with tax collectors like Matthew.  Yet both were disciples of Jesus … who also once spoke about how he had come to divide families! (See Matthew 10:34-39.)  It’s complicated; maybe calculus is easier.

The one family connection that always remains strong, John’s gospel reminds us, is the union between God (Father) and Jesus (his only Son).  It is that truth-filled, joyful relationship of unbreakable love which Jesus wants to share with his disciples.  Jesus knows that the world is full of conflict, cruelty, division, distraction, deception, and danger; he will feel all of it the next day on the cross.  This troubled world is the same one God loves so much that God sent Jesus in the first place (John 3:16-17).  Now Jesus has also sent his disciples into the world (17:18), and he won’t be there with them in the same way he has been.  “Holy Father, protect them”…he prays…”so that they may be one, as we are one.”  

This mind-bending prayer reveals to us something even more impossible to comprehend:  God’s wildly generous love.  God shares Jesus with an unappreciative world, and Jesus shares everything—including giving his intimate relationship with the Father to his disciples, just before giving his very life to the world.

Discussion Questions

• If you knew you would die tomorrow, for whom and what would you pray today?
• Is the Church of Jesus united or divided…or both?  Explain your answer.
• Why is truth important for real unity?
• What part can you play in helping Jesus’ prayer come true?

Activity Suggestions

• Write a loving letter to a family member from whom you feel disconnected.
• As a group, pray together for your faith community and for the world.  Do you think prayer helps unify Christians?  How and why?

Closing Prayer

Gracious Father, we pray for your holy catholic church. Fill it with all truth and peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it; where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in need, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen. (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, p.73)

David Delaney, Salem, VA

Warm-up Questions

• Friendship can be complicated because it has so many possible dimensions and expressions. And it’s only gotten more complicated in the last 15 years as social media has transformed the meaning of the word. Do you make a strong distinction between “friends” and mere “acquaintences”? How do you know the difference, if there is one? Does it depend more on your feelings, or theirs, or on shared experiences?
• Do you have a favorite kind of fruit? How do you know when it is just at the right point to eat? What qualities make it good? Everyone has heard the fun fact that tomatoes are actually fruits, and bananas are actually berries, but strawberries aren’t berries. Does that make a difference in whether you like them? And does it blur the concept of “bearing fruit” or not?
• In addition to being the Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 9^th is also Mother’s Day this year. Have you seen any of the videos where moms describe themselves as mothers and then listen to their kids describe them? The mothers are all surprised at how positive the comments are and how much they are valued by their children. The word “love” appears over and over again. Does reading John 15 with the relationship between parents and children in mind give you any new insight into the message of the passage?

Love in the Time of Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has turned our lives upside down, affecting everything from the way we work to family relationships and friendships, for better and for worse. The pandemic might be keeping people apart, but it’s also brought people closer together. Before the coronavirus pandemic broke out, 17-year-old Anna (who lives in Germany) regularly met up with her friends — a group of seven girls who’ve known each other for years. But nowadays it’s impossible to get together for a chat, a bit of shopping, or a night out. Instead, the teenagers connect online. With schools shut across Germany, Anna has lost touch with all but her closest friends. She occasionally goes for walks with a girl who lives nearby. “I haven’t met up with any other friends,” she said. “My parents don’t want me to, because of the high number of infections.”

Young people aren’t the only ones struggling. Parents who are juggling work and homeschooling have little time to socialize. And with sports clubs and bars shut, many are finding it hard to stay in touch with friends.

So is the pandemic ruining our friendships? Yes and no, says Wolfgang Krüger, a Berlin-based psychotherapist who has written a book about friendship. He differentiates between close and casual friendships, describing the latter as “based on shared activities, like singing in a choir, practicing sports, or playing cards in the pub.” Without that context, these friendships fade away, Krüger said. That’s one reason why loneliness has become especially acute among elderly single men, he added.

Silbernetz, an organization tackling loneliness in old age, confirms this development. A growing number of elderly citizens are seeking out its services.  But Krüger argues that the pandemic had also deepened many close friendships.  “We tend to have three of these at most,” he said. “We can tell these friends anything, we trust them completely, and there’s a high degree of intimacy.” These friendships are likely to have blossomed in the past year, he said, because in times of crisis we need to talk more than ever.

That has been Anna’s experience. She said she and one of her friends had been exchanging letters and sharing their innermost thoughts. “We’ve grown closer than we were before the pandemic,” she said, “when we mainly talked in group settings.”  However, other friendships have cooled off. “Some of my girlfriends don’t get in touch much anymore, and it feels like we’re growing apart,” she said.

A survey on wellbeing and mental health during the pandemic conducted last summer by University College London found that half of the respondents reported no changes in their relationships with others. 15% reported improvements and 22% said their friendships had deteriorated.  The social media company Snap Inc. has also been investigating the effects of the pandemic on interactions, with a recent study giving weight to Krüger’s theory that close relationships have deepened. 

On the other hand, said Janosch Schobin, a sociologist who specializes in friendships at the University of Kassel, complex social constellations are one of the reasons why other friends are drifting apart.  During the pandemic, Schopin said, people are reducing their social interactions and focusing on fewer, closer friendships. “This shift in attention means some friends receive sufficient attention,” he said, “while others don’t.” As a result, we find ourselves growing apart from people with whom we once felt close.  Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to tackle loneliness. Some people, Schobin says, adapt and nurture friendships with people they’ve known for a while, even if they haven’t always been close. 

Elke Schilling, who works for Silbernetz, said pensioners might consider reaching out to old contacts. She said the organization Silberdraht provided a telephone service for older people, offering entertainment such as radio plays, news and music.

For younger people, such as Anna, social media, apps and online games provide some comfort. But they’re no replacement for real life friendships.

Discussion Questions

• Other studies from around the world (including the U.S.) have suggested that people are generally discovering that they are just as or more satisfied with two or three close friends as they were when they thought they had as many as a hundred. What is your experience telling you about whether we actually need friends or not? Or just a few versus a lot?
• Most studies like this one do not involve people who were already short on friends prior to the pandemic. Perhaps you are one of those people! As we move forward, are you more likely to reach out to provide friendship to someone in need, or will you likely return to whatever your previous patterns of friendship were?
• Are you ever surprised that Jesus seems to have had no more than about twenty close friends during his earthly ministry? (We’re including the faithful women who were partners with the twelve disciples and who were the first witnesses to the resurrection). Of course, he met and dined with and healed and preached to many, many more than that, but what does it mean that his circle of close friends was pretty small?

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Acts 10:44-48

1 John 5:1-6

John 15:9-17

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

There are a half-dozen or so centerpiece words in this gospel reading – “love,” “abide,” “command,” “joy,” “friend,” “fruit.” Long-time readers of John’s gospel have noticed that instead of proceeding in a straight-line argument, the Evangelist John tends to show Jesus circling around an idea, tying concepts together with various words until his hearers gain more of an image rather than an explanation of what Jesus is saying.

Those who read the three letters of John near the end of the New Testament notice the same pattern. In the end, the image they develop is that Jesus is making his love available for them to share with one another and, in turn, the world. He is not asking them to do anything that would require them to be on their own or draw on their own strength.  Rather, he is building them into a community where each individual can be strengthened and the hard things he is asking can be accomplished. 

Discussion Questions

• Is there anything that is distinctive about “Christian” friendship as compared with friendship in general? Think of things that Jesus expects of us as his friends that might not necessarily be included in ordinary human friendships. 
• ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton likes to describe our church’s identity as “We are the Church. We are the Lutheran Church. We are Church together. We are Church for the sake of the world.” Think about this in light of this whole reading from verses 9 through 17. What are some ways that reflecting on Jesus’ words here help us address each of these aspects of our call as the church?
• In the middle of this heartwarming and inspiring speech in John 15, Jesus throws in verse 13 – “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” That, suddenly, has a very costly sound to it! Is Jesus talking only of himself, or do you think he includes this in the commandments that he is giving to his friends? For what or for whom would you lay down your life?

Activity Suggestions

• In the spirit of John the Evangelist’s style, use a free website like wordclouds.com to generate your own image of friendship by having each participant enter a half-dozen words that are associated with friendship, particularly friendship with Jesus and, through him, with each other. 
• Jesus’ group of friends, even though it was small, consisted of disciples from all over the territory of Israel (Judea, Galilee, the Greek Decapolis, etc.) and of a wide range of backgrounds and ideologies (women and men, tax-collectors and anti-government zealots, rich and poor, day laborers and business executives, etc.). He frequently crossed dangerous social, ethnic, and ideological lines to converse or even share a meal with someone very different from himself. Take an inventory of your own personal friend group or the group of youth that assembles (either in-person or online) in your congregation. How diverse is it? Are there people you know who could use a friend like you or a friend group like yours? What’s the first step in reaching out?
• Look up characteristics of different kinds of food that we call “fruits,” (and also “vegetables” while you’re at it), whether they are all technically fruit or not. Notice for each food where the seeds are located (outside, inside, surrounded by the “meat” of the fruit, enclosed in a husk or not, etc.). Some of the seeds are easy to get to, and for others, you have to work at it! If we think of “seeds” as the kernels of the gospel of God’s love that are to be spread through the world, ask how easy it is for those who encounter you to get to the “seed” of the gospel. All different kinds of fruits make up this unusual vineyard of Christ (see John 15:1-8)! What’s the variety of fruits you have in your friend group, youth group, or class? Which fruit or vegetable best represents you?
• If you’re ambitious, go to Galatians 5:22-23 and note the “fruits of the Spirit” listed there. As fruit gets consumed, the seeds become more available. Does sharing “love, joy, peace, patience, etc.” with others make the seeds of the gospel more available to them?)

Closing Prayer

Loving God, we pray that you would hold us close to yourself, that we may know the love that you have shared with Jesus your Son, and that through him we may have love for one another and for the world you have made. Make us bearers of much fruit, to your praise and glory. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Danny Stone, Springville, IA

Warm-up Questions

Our “Pandemic Year” has forced us to adapt to new challenges and change our ways.  What adaptations and changes will you keep?   What will you prune?

More Than Just Surviving

Imagine being born into a pandemic and having the same pestilence return when you are 18, 28, 39, 42, and 44.  These outbreaks are particularly. nasty and can easily kill 1 out of 5 in a community. As you would expect, each episode comes with quarantines and restrictions.  Markets, gatherings, restaurants and theaters are closed for extended periods.  Sound familiar? How would you react if you were a locally famous, London playwright forced into isolation?  Would you sulk?  Or would you write Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest?  William Shakespeare’s career and life were marked by six eruptions of the bubonic plague.  He survived, adapted, and incorporated battling the disease into his plays. 

“A plague on both your houses.” – Romeo and Juliet: Act 3, Scene 1, Line 1594

“Thou art a boil” – King Lear: Act 2, Scene 4, Line 219

Maybe a new Shakespeare is right now writing a brilliant tragedy.  Some of us have made incredible leaps as we cope with Covid 19.  Some of us face daily struggles, loneliness, isolation, and financial ruin.  567,000 of our neighbors have lost their lives.  A very unscientific Facebook poll asked 1300 Americans to answer, “How has the pandemic changed your life, and will you make any of these changes permanent?” 

Matt – Georgia

Matt moved from a community in Michigan that refused to mask or social distance.  “So we left. In the beginning it was socially distant RV trips to other parts of the country to see natural splendor. In the end it was full-on relocation to a place with a better climate (weather) and a better climate (diverse and progressive).”

Kellie – Iowa and Germany

“I learned a lot about myself. I’ve explored new interests and had some time to explore who I am outside of “teacher.” My husband and I also grew closer as we had to get more creative with our conversations since we spent every day at home with each other. It also helped, I suppose, that we moved across the world with just each other for company. I have learned how selfish many Americans are, and I hope that some of these practices (like wearing a mask when you are sick) become the norm. I also hope that this slower pace of life becomes the norm. We as a society are so over scheduled, and I think it’s been nice to have a chance to stop and just be.”

Jenna – Texas

“The pandemic gave me time to *be* and heal and slow down, which I appreciate immensely. It also severely slowed/cut my business, which was rough. But, I qualify & am working through a PPP loan application. I will carry a few changes into post-pandemic life. Prioritizing some time to myself and remembering that I can get by on less than I think I can. And focusing more on recording and not just live performances in the next few years.”

Paula – Iowa

“This past year gave me great pause. It made me look at facets of life through different lenses- everything from family, work, faith, community, society, etc. The good, the bad and the ugly became really transparent. I found myself very disappointed in others’ behaviors and at the same time I gained a true appreciation for the kindness of neighbors. Things that I will carry forward… remote connection through zoom, intentional calls and convos with family/friends. Ordering online groceries. Support small local businesses more intentionally. Focus on living in the moment. Not take the basics for granted.”

Heather – Texas

“I think it definitely showed me how important slowing down is and I want to make that as permanent as possible.”

Mike – California

“I’m in my late 50s. I lost 2 sources of employment and stayed home most of the time. I have a lot to own up to. No human should waste time the way I did. I watched way too much news, as I felt like a sentry at the gates of sanity & integrity. Anxiety! I got really good at internet card games rather than reading or learning a new hobby. I also found out how few of my friends couldn’t be bothered to call me and talk (I initiated almost all my phone conversations). It was a horribly unproductive period, but hopefully my awareness is now raised. When 2/3 of your life is behind you, there’s no time to waste. I feel like I just wasted a precious year.”

Discussion Questions

• Shakespeare wrote masterpieces and Mike from California felt he wasted a year.  Where did you fall on this continuum?  Did you get stuff done or did you stagnate?
• Imagine that a friend did a “Rip Van Winkle” and slept through 2020/2021?  What would you say to catch them up on the year?
• How has your congregation changed?  Will it ever go back to “normal?”

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Acts 8:26-40

1 John 4:7-21

John 15:1-8

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

Hooray for spring and new life.  Yes, it is time to roll in the grass and celebrate! The poet, E.E. Cummings called spring “mud-luscious” and “puddle-wonderful.”  Soak it all up and take a deep breath. Let’s get outside and enjoy the gifts of the season.  Watch the clouds.  Jump in a puddle!  Prepare the world for her fertile days.   We all need a break and a glorious spring to wash off the dust of this past year.  

Central to this passage from John is the word “abide.”  It is translated from the Greek word “meno” meaning, “to survive or live.”  Simply put, Jesus calls us to live in him.  Living in Jesus changes our perspective of the world.  Instead of living in a moment, we live in Christ and he lives in us. It is like living in an eternal spring, lovingly held in the gardener’s hands.  In return, God asks us to bear fruit and share the Good News.  Your fruits may be your service to others, the music you create, the plays you write or the love you share.  

Discussion Questions

• How do you live in Jesus?  Do you feel you are part of the vine?
• Branches “thrown into the fire” has always troubled scholars.  What do you think happens to the branches that wither and are burned?

Activity Suggestions

• Have your group research community gardens that need volunteers.  Set a time to volunteer!
• Assist with grounds maintenance at your congregation or visit members who need assistance with their yards.
• Plant seedlings for fruits, flowers, or vegetables.  Start your own Youth Ministry garden in a window box, planter, bucket, flower bed, or garden plot.

Closing Prayer

Dear Blessed Creator!  Thank you for the miracles of spring and the promise of life in you.  Help us to be fruitful disciples of your love.  May we live in the warmth of sun in your eternal garden. You are the vine, and we are the branches! Amen.

Maggie Falenschek, Saint Peter, MN

Warm-up Question

• What are two or three things you are really good at?
• Describe your personality: Are you funny? Kind? Compassionate? Assertive? Quiet? If you’re having trouble thinking of this on your own, ask a family member or a friend to help describe you!
• What is an issue of injustice that you are passionate about?

Sacred Vocations

Have you ever heard the word vocation before? Sometimes when we hear this word we think of someone’s particular job or career, but it’s really much bigger than that! Sometimes it helps to think about vocation as your unique calling. God has created each of us with strengths and gifts— things that we are good at.  In the same way, we each have different things we are passionate or care deeply about. Maybe it’s an issue of injustice that you see in your community. Perhaps it is something that you just love to do! When we combine our gifts and skills with the things we are passionate about, we may find our calling, our vocation. 

We each have multiple vocations. We have vocations in our families: to be a child, parent, family friend, or guardian. In our daily lives we might have a have vocation to be a student, scientist, athlete, or grounds keeper. These vocations may change throughout our lives, but all Christians share a special baptismal vocation to use our gifts and passions in service to our neighbor and world. When we live into our vocations, we receive a greater sense of meaning and purpose for our lives. 

Discussion Questions

• What gives you a sense of meaning and purpose?
• Think back to our warm-up discussion. How can you combine the things that you’re passionate about with your gifts and skills in order serve your neighbor?

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Acts 4:5-12

1 John 3:16-24

John 10:11-18

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

Like us, Jesus had many vocations. He was a son, friend, and teacher. Jesus used the gifts of God and the movement of the Holy Spirit in his life for the betterment of the world.  He brought those cast aside into community, healed the sick and hurt, and, ultimately, brought new life from death. 

In our gospel reading for today, we hear about Jesus’ vocation as the Good Shepherd. There are things that any “good” shepherd does: tending to the sheep, keeping them safe from danger, bringing them to better pastures to eat.  But this story speaks of Jesus as a shepherd who does more than just care for his flock’s basic needs. Jesus knows each of his flock by name; he seeks out those on the margins of the pasture and brings them back. Jesus lays down his life, risking everything for his flock. Even a “good” shepherd wouldn’t take that risk, but Jesus did. God did.

Jesus’ vocation as the Good Shepherd helps us to better understand God’s deep love and care for us, God’s flock. Through Jesus, God went through the depths of human life for us. Through Jesus, God was vulnerable. Because the thought of even one beloved child being lost or alone was too much to bear, God risked everything so that we experience healing, togetherness, and new life. God loves us too much to leave us behind.

It is sometimes intimidating to think of our vocation, or calling, as followers of Jesus.  The invitation to care for our hurting world is overwhelming and we may feel utterly un-equipped to do so. There will be times when we surely do not live up to this vocation or the other callings in our lives. We may stumble, feel lost, or fail. But remember this: There is no failure, mistake, hurt, regret, or burden which can ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Good Shepherd. 

Discussion Questions

• Can you think of other stories or words that describe Jesus’ vocation?
• How do you react when you feel intimidated or overwhelmed? How can Jesus shepherd you through those times? 
• Divide a sheet of paper down the middle. On one side, list all of your strengths, skills, gifts, and resources. On the other side, list needs you see in your church or community. Is there a way that your skills, passions, and resources could meet a need in your community?

Activity Suggestions

• Listen to the song “You Were Born” by Cloud Cult. Print out the lyrics and highlight the lines that stick out to you or connect to what you’ve learned about vocation.
• Take the Via Character Strengths survey online. Did any of the strengths in your report surprise you? How do they fit into your vocations?
• Read through the Holy Baptism (page 227) or Affirmation of Baptism (page 234) liturgies in Evangelical Lutheran Worship. Circle all of the parts that are vocations or callings for us as followers of Jesus. 

Closing Prayer

God, you call us into many sacred vocations. Guide us as we use our gifts and skills to make our community and world a more kind, just, and loving place. When we get overwhelmed or feel intimidated by this great call, remind us that you are our Good Shepherd and that there is nothing that could separate us from your love. Amen. 

Bob Chell, Sioux Falls, SD

Warm-up Questions

• Do you believe in demons? ghosts?
• Have you seen or experienced an encounter with a demon or a ghost?
• Is there a world we cannot see?

Seeing the Other

First, some of their names:  John Williams, Michael Brown, Elijah McClain, Robert Long, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Dylann Roof, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Hyun Jung Grant, Darren Wilson.  They were police officers and emergency room techs, artists and business owners, hard working and hardly working. Though DNA would almost certainly reveal all as multiracial they identified as African American, White, Native American and Asian American. Shooters and victims.  Law breakers and law enforcement. Their stories unique, yet eerily similar.

We are weary of their stories, their sameness, their sadness. We want to celebrate Easter but looking for Jesus in our broken world seems futile. The gospel challenges us to look harder.

Discussion Questions

• Each time a person of color is shot by a police officer, it’s a unique, one time situation, yet they are weirdly similar, and happen again and again. Why?
• Who or what is responsible for shootings which seem unjustified?  The officer who shoots?  Systematic racism?  Irrational  fear?  Poor judgement?  Lack of  training for those charged with a very difficult job?   What other possible causes can you come up with?
• Is the underlying cause unique or part of a troubling pattern?

Third Sunday of Easter

Acts 3:12-19

1 John 3:1-7

Luke 24:36b-48

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

The disciples think they are seeing a ghost, a supernatural being of some kind. To ease their anxiety Jesus asks for food so that, seeing him eat, they will see him as  their friend and not an apparition.

“The only way I can describe it, it looks like a demon.” Those were the words of Darren Wilson, the police officer in Ferguson, Missouri who shot a young African American man, Michael Brown. “It looked like a demon,. So, Wilson said, “I shoot a series of shots. I don’t know how many I shot, I just know I shot it.”   Not “him”, not “Michael”, not “a man”, a “person”, a “teen”, Darren, the man.  Wilson said he shot “it.”

Set aside the question of guilt and innocence, right and wrong for a moment to consider the nature of what transpired.  For some reason—denial, racism, PTSD, training, or lack of training— police officer Darren Wilson did not see Michael Brown. He did not a person, but a demon, not Michael, but an “it.”

I spent the last four years of my career as a pastor working with ghosts, some would say demons. Like Michael Brown, they are each “other” or “it,”something unlike you and I. Some were called monsters or demons.  They were all inmate, prisoner, or con. Ghosts in khaki who walked the tiers of the South Dakota State Penitentiary.  They were stripped of their humanity by the system which knew them only by their inmate number or their crime. In becoming inmates they ceased to be men and became “other.” Other than human, like Michael Brown, they became other than like me.

The disciples  are“startled and terrified”, “disbelieving and …wondering.”  They watch as ghost becomes man, becomes human, becomes Jesus, the friend and brother  they lost only days before.

________________

It’s a mystery. I watched every Thursday night for four years as 12-15 visitors joined 100 inmates in the chapel of the penitentiary.  It is jarring and anxiety producing to enter a prison, to be asked over and over again about cell phones and pocket knifes, tobacco and watches, chewing gum and shooting guns. Then the door to the sally port opens so you can enter. As the electronic gate slides shut behind you, you know what a sally port is without being told, a gate closed behind you, another closed in front of you. Then the same questions.

The gate before you slides open…through the lobby…up two flights of steps…another gate…more stairs and doors…and finally into the upper room, the chapel.  You enter a world unlike that which you just transversed. The smiling men, some bearded or tattooed, some your own age or younger. Others are your dad’s age, or your grandfather’s. You remember, some came to this place at age 14. Which ones?

The men join in the opening hymn, “I saw the light.” They are all singing, not only singing but singing the way you do in a car on the way to the lake with friends, full volume and deep feeling. 

The service is much the same as in your congregation, other than that singing, of course. At least until the Passing of the Peace. Then it’s pandemonium, everyone on their feet, moving around the room and greeting visitors and inmates alike.  You realize, at some point, you have forgotten to be scared and are having fun, as the inmates greet you and thank you for remembering them. 

Why do they thank you for remember them?  “It’s because most are not remembered,” the pastor tells you. Most of the men won’t have a conversation with someone from outside the walls who isn’t paid to be there until next week’s worship. It is a different world.  Prisons are full of ghosts, ghosts in khaki …until they walk through the door to the chapel.   Then 34816 is transformed into Robert who you saw baptized. 74869 is David, a beloved child of God. 28482 is John, he’s in the choir.

One of the miracles and mysteries of St. Dysmas* (The ELCA congregations located behind the walls  of the South Dakota State Penitentiary) is a first time visitor’s realization, “they’re just like us!”  They ARE us. We are ‘us.’ There is only one us, one kind of people, lots of variety but we are all alike when it’s all said and done. None of us is defined by the worst thing we’ve ever done.  Everyone who comes through the sally port the first time, inmates and officers, visitors and pastors, imagine they are different from them. Whoever they imagine the them to be.

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In the seven Sundays of Easter Jesus repeatedly appears to disciples who fail to recognize him, who are filled with fear and confusion, with joy and disbelieving.  What can you glean from Jesus’ appearance to his disciples? 

You are not a ghost, a child of a broken home, an irritant to your family, or a hopeless case. You are a beloved child of God.   God has had an eye on you from before the beginning.  God loves you and will never stop loving you—even if you dress in khaki one day.

God knows and God loves you, period.  You may not feel lovable,  and the truth is that sometimes we aren’t very loving to each other, or even to ourselves.  But God sees through all that. God knows us and God  loves us.

Jesus came to forgive. Jesus came to heal. Jesus came to raise us up from the deadness of our battered and broken lives, to breathe life into our despair.  Just as Jesus gathered broken people to become his disciples, God calls to you and speaks the same blessing, “Peace be with you.”

Discussion Questions

• When have you been seen as “other.” How did it feel? Has anyone first seen you as other and come to know you as a person? 
• Have you heard or seen people acting or implying as if other people we somehow “less than” or “other?” Did you say or do anything? Why or why not? Do you wish you had responded differently?

Activity Suggestions

This week watch for times of “othering”—in your home, at school, in church and with your friends.  How Does Jesus appearance to his disciples encourage you to respond?

Closing Prayer 

Jesus, help us to recognize those unlike ourselves as sisters and brothers. Break down our hesitancy and awkwardness in unfamiliar situations.  Inspire us to make connections and build bridges when your people are divided. Amen.