Category: Kim’s Blog

“Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed. . .” Genesis 40:23-41:1a

After two whole years. I love that word, “whole.” It stresses just how long Joseph was waiting and waiting and waiting for something to happen that would get him out of jail. Pharaoh’s dream turns out to be the catalyst for his release.

Two whole years. A long time. Seemingly forever. All those days in prison with no end in sight. It’s not as if Joseph had been sentenced to two whole years in prison and had to wait them out. He was simply there until further notice. No end in sight.

If there’s one thing most people hate it is waiting. People don’t like to wait at a red light. They don’t like to wait for the check in a restaurant. They don’t like to wait on line. And theses are just the little inconvenient waitings. There are the bigger waitings that are that much difficult. Waiting to hear about a job. Waiting for the college acceptance. Waiting for the tax return to pay the rent and car insurance. There used to be waiting for a letter from someone you care about. Then, sometimes there are those really significant, life changing waitings like waiting for the results of the critical medical test. Or waiting to see if the treatment worked. Or waiting to see if a loved one will survive a car accident. There are those life and death waitings.

In Lent, we can imagine Jesus for those 40 days in the wilderness. Was there waiting? Waiting to see if God would come to him? Waiting to see what his call would be? Waiting to see what would happen in that intense experience of opening himself to God?

Joseph used his time in prison to serve the other prisoners. He kept himself suitably occupied. Lent is a time to think about waiting that is expectant, hopeful, and perhaps productive. Waiting is an opportunity to learn trust. It can be a fallow time of resting in preparation for what is to come. Maybe waiting is an invitation to take delight in all that we do have and can appreciate.

Instead of seeing waiting as an annoyance, maybe we can use waiting as a time to deepen our faith and feed our spirits.

Prayer
While we may not like waiting, we know it can be a time of healing, a time of growth, and a time of preparation. And before we complain too much, let us remember all the waiting that God endures. Waiting for us to figure out how to love one another and stop killing each other. Waiting for us to decide to devote ourselves to the care for Creation. Waiting for us to practice forgiveness on a regular basis. That puts our waiting in perspective and invites us to trust. Amen.

“But remember me when it is well with you; please do me the kindness to make mention of me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this place. For in fact I was stolen out of the land of the Hebrews; and here also I have done nothing that they should have put me into the dungeon.” Genesis 40:14-16, NRSV

In America, we like to hold up the image of the “self-made” man or woman. We think of people who have worked hard and overcome disadvantages and have gained a measure of success, money, and respect. We applaud people who seem to pull themselves up by their boot straps.

But the story of Joseph reminds us that we can also be buffeted by forces beyond our control. One way to see what happened to Joseph is to see that no matter what he did, his brothers would have had ill will toward him because of the father’s favoritism. That was beyond Joseph’s control. And he certainly had no control over his brothers’ plans to get rid of him.

Joseph also has no control over his master’s wife who frames him for rape. Nothing he could do could significantly change that situation. So he is in prison. How will he get out of prison?

Again, his release is also out of his control. He asks the cupbearer to put in a good word for him when he is released from prison. Will this man help Joseph? Will he remember to make Joseph’s case to Pharaoh? Will he help Joseph? Joseph has no control over this either.

While we may want to celebrate the accomplishments of individuals, while we may think that we are to be praised for what we have made of ourselves, the truth is that there are many other factors that contribute to our success over which we may have no influence or control. For instance, it may just be that we were born in a country that has roads and schools and electricity and plenty of food. And we benefit from that. Similarly, when we are in a bad way, yes, we may have made a mess of things, but there may very well be factors beyond our control that have contributed to the challenging circumstances.

While there is much that we can influence in our lives, while we need to take responsibility for our actions and choices, the story of Joseph reminds us that our lives can be influenced by the behavior of others, for good and for ill. We are not free, independent agents going it alone through this world. Our lives are intertwined. We impact one another.

Prayer
The story of Joseph reminds us that we are interdependent. We need each other. There are those who need my help and my influence. And I need others to live the life that I am called to. May I be grateful for all those who have made a positive contribution to my life, even those I do not know and cannot name. Amen.

February 19, 2016

Evidently, after leaving Mexico, the Pope was asked about presidential hopeful Donald Trump and his idea of building a wall between the US and Mexico. Apparently the Pope responded, “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian.” There you have it.

The Pope was asked about a specific matter. He gave a generalized, universal answer. Then it is up to the listener to apply the answer to the specific situation. And where did the Pope get this play? From Jesus, of course. Again and again, Jesus is asked specific questions, sometimes by people who are trying to trip him up, and he gives a general answer and leaves the rest up to the listener. One example is the story that tells of Jesus being asked whether or not it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar. Jesus says, Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s; give to God what is God’s. Jesus does not specifically answer the question but gives a wisdom teaching that relates to the question. It is left up to those who hear to draw their own conclusion.

So the Pope says, “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian.” There is no direct mention of Trump. There is no specific reference to the wall between the US and Mexico. There is a general statement about the teachings of Jesus upon which Christianity founded. Christianity is about reconciliation and bringing people together, especially people who are different from each other. The Pope is talking about the way of Jesus, the Christian faith. He is explaining and defining Christianity which is absolutely under his purview as a Christian leader. He is making a general statement.

That Donald Trump and US politicos and pundits take the Pope’s words as an attack on Trump and an inappropriate foray into US politics, is their response, but it cannot be attributed to the Pope. They are taking what the Pope said and applying it and they are drawing the conclusion that it is an attack on Trump. They are choosing to see Trump as someone who “thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges. . .” They are applying the Pope’s general words specifically to Trump. The Pope did not do that. Trump and other listeners are doing that.

This is not a surprise coming from Trump because he has made himself known as someone who is all about “me.” And the last thing anyone could accuse Trump of is being humble. (Another attribute of a Christian?) So, this little brouhaha has really been instigated by Trump, who, as usual, is using it to get himself more publicity. He’s really good at that. Once again we see that Trump certainly has faith in himself.

“One night they both dreamed – the cupbearer and the baker of the kind of Egypt, who were confined in the prison – each his own dream, and each dream with its own meaning. When Joseph come to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled.” Genesis 40:5-6, NRSV

Have you ever had trouble sleeping? Tossing and turning. Wishing you were sleeping. Worrying about the fact that you are not sleeping? It can be nerve wracking, can’t it? Maybe it happens less today because we have sleeping pills to knock us out at night. Can’t be bothered with loosing sleep. We know the bad consequences of sleep deprivation – more accidents and mistakes at work, impaired memory, irritability, etc.

But then, what keeps us up at night? If we’ll take the time to think about it, we may learn something. Something we should be paying attention to. Are we awake because we are worrying about something? An upcoming medical test? A bill that needs to be paid? How our child is doing in school? A disagreement we have had with a friend? What is keeping us awake at night? Just thinking about that may give us some insight into what is going on in our lives, where we need to pay attention, what we need to attend to.

Maybe what keeps us up at night is physical. Aches and pains. Indigestion. A headache. Maybe we need to pay attention to our body. Maybe it is trying to tell us something about our physical needs or the physical manifestations of stress. Practicing yoga has helped me to learn to pay much more attention to my body and how to keep my body functioning and happy. Not being able to sleep may tell us something about with our body that we need to know.

In addition, noticing what keeps us awake at night may help us to know what we are to be doing with our lives. It may help us to sort out what we need to be addressing ourselves to to fulfill our purpose. If the image of the little boy who can’t read keeps coming to mind maybe you need to be volunteering at a school or library. If the sinking of a boat full of refugees haunts you maybe you need to find out how to help those who must leave their homes and find a safe place to live. If the notion of the island of plastic swirling in the Pacific Ocean won’t let you go maybe it is time to get involved in cleaning up the environment.

Noticing sleep patterns, insomnia, and dreams can help us to see what is going on with us. We can learn about what we are experiencing. What needs attention. How we need to tend to ourselves and our relationships. But we might not see any of this if we don’t pay attention to what keeps us awake at night and what haunts our restless dreams. We can be so busy or distracted that we don’t bother to look deeper.

And, then there are those sleeping pills. . . .

Prayer
We want to live full and abundant lives centered in Love. Then we can sleep at night knowing that we are doing what we need to be doing and we are being who we are intended to be. May we notice what disturbs our sleep, may we pay attention to our dreams so that we fulfill our purpose and find joy. Amen.

“But God was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love; God gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. The chief jailer committed to Joseph’s care all the prisoners who were in the prison, and whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The chief jailer paid no heed to anything that was in Joseph’s care. . .” Genesis 39:21-23a, NRSV, adapted

Here is Joseph, in jail unjustly, and does he whine? Does he complain? Does he behave in a difficult manner? Does he sulk? Does he fume? We aren’t told of anything like that. We are told that he was the model prisoner. And the jailer entrusted to Joseph the care of the other prisoners. Even in jail, Joseph is responsible, reliable, and compassionate. He can be trusted.

We are told that this is so because God is with Joseph. God showed Joseph steadfast love. That enabled Joseph to accept his circumstances with equanimity and to wait patiently for whatever would come next. Not only does Joseph accept being in jail when he was framed but he helps the others who are there. He finds a way to serve.

God’s love is always with each and every one of us whether or not we can see it. And that love seeks expression. Whatever our circumstances, whatever misfortune befalls us, there is always some way that we can express the love of God. There is always a way for the love of God to flow through us. There is always a need that we can respond to with God’s love. Evidently, the way the story is told, God needed Joseph in that prison. He shouldn’t be there. He is there unjustly. But since he is there, God can use him.

And that service not only ministers to the prisoners and to the jailer, but it sustains Joseph. He is needed. He has a purpose. He can help the other prisoners. He can exercise his power, limited though it may be. This gives him dignity. This helps to prevent his spiraling into self pity. This gives him constructive purpose. This reinforces his self worth. Helping the jailer and serving the other prisoners gets Joseph through the dark days of his unjust imprisonment.

When we are going through dark days, this is a time to think about how we can shine the light of God for someone else. That helps the other person, and it will help us.

Prayer
Divine love continuously seeks to sustain us. May we accept that love by sharing it where it is needed. Amen.