I know it has been several weeks since the Inauguration,
but I still keep thinking about it. I know it was a day that so many in our country
had looked forward to with hope. I know I did. It was a different kind of
inauguration, cut back in so many ways because of the pandemic that still ravages
the population. Still, it had its pomp and circumstance, its celebrities and
pageantry, as well as its speeches and oaths.
It was evident that the crowds that usually packed the
Mall to watch and cheer weren't there. Instead, rows and rows of colorful flags
represented each state and territory that stretched the Mall's length. The
guests and representatives of the government, including several former
Presidents and First Ladies, Justices of the Supreme Court, and military and
governmental heads, were spread out and wearing masks for their own protection
and that of others.
What I heard in the speech the President gave was a call
for unity, a coming together for the common good rather than the divisiveness
which has become so apparent in recent years. The need for unity echoed the words
of Jesus from Matthew: "…Every kingdom divided against itself is laid
waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand" (12:25b). Lincoln
used the same words in an 1858 campaign speech to illustrate the division between
North and South in terms of slavery. It was an important concept then, just as
our own political and geographical divisions are now.
But I heard something more in the President's speech. I listened
to a man speaking to a nation in pain. I heard a man speaking in humility, not
bragging about former successes but rather what he hoped to accomplish for the country's
good. I felt that each word was
carefully crafted to uplift sagging spirits and light much-needed candles of
faith. The speaking of the words released them to set the stage for future
action on behalf of all.
It occurred to me as I listened that despite the absence
of living bodies crammed onto a long stretch of grass and marble steps of the Capitol,
the words had room to expand, to move about, as it were. It was as if they were
set free to be blown throughout the world on the breath of the wind, carried
through the open spaces, and sent forth with the aid of the fluttering flags. The
masses of humanity traditionally gathered around the speaker did not absorb the
words. The spaces between them gave each person room to absorb the meaning rather
than just deflect the sound.
Jesus often spoke to large crowds, unaided by electronic
devices to amplify sound. But then, crowds in Jesus's day were accustomed to
listening with care and attention. There was no media recording and replaying
sound and video later. We are much more prone to space out a bit during
speeches (and sermons) until a specific word or phrase catches our attention. Jesus
probably spoke slowly and carefully so that every word and syllable could be
heard and understood.
He also spoke of hope and togetherness, faithfulness and
love, without arousing feelings of hatred, animosity, and anger. It wasn't that
Jesus never showed anger; he did on several occasions, but when speaking to
crowds about living, following God's will, and practicing that kind of life, he
encouraged them to care for each other and the earth that sustained them.
Jesus encouraged humility. Many characters of the parables
were the more humble folk, like the tax collector in the synagogue, the woman
with the hemorrhage, the diseased and infirm, children, and the poor. He spoke
humbly so that all could hear and understand, and for those who had no voices
and no resources. His words were set free to spread throughout the world, and
we are still listening to, and hopefully paying attention to, those words
today.
This week, I need to practice listening rather than
speaking and speaking simply and humbly without trying to impress others. If I talk,
I want my words to go out into the world to be spread by the wind and the
Spirit.
Now to go out and do what I need to do.
God bless.
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