We were also able to hear two sermons by Pastor Miguel and one by our own Pastor Zack. All of these tied in beautifully with the sermon we heard at our commissioning in March, where we contemplated the common saying "God never gives you more than you can handle." This fit into a broader theme of half truths and false truths. (DAD CORRECT I DONT REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS CALLED). At our commissioning, I began to think of the many ways people use and abuse "I am so blessed." Whether for the purchase of a new home, winning a sports event, a child's graduation from college, or recovery from a serious illness - people use this phrase all of the time. Of course it is always worthwhile to take a moment when we're feeling good to express gratitude, but have we put much thought into what saying "I'm blessed" truly means?
The Bible teaches us that God is both all knowing and all powerful. That is to say that these blessings are neither accidental nor random. To me, the saying "I'm so blessed" implies that God chose you for some good fortune over someone else. As a personal example, I observed many proud announcements of "I'm blessed" when my law school class completed (and in many cases passed) the Michigan bar exam. How does this feel to read for one of our classmates who did not pass this time? Have they not been blessed? The reason other people don't have the same blessings we have is because God hasn't chosen them. You may be wondering how this has anything to do with Manzanillo, Cuba. Here's how.
Pastor Miguel's sermon dealt with Passover, and the difficult question of WHY the Israelites would celebrate while they were slaves. Why the Israelites would give thanks when they had nothing but faith that good fortune would come. Even when it appeared that their God either had forgotten them entirely or could not or would not help them emerge from Egypt. This mindset is integral to the Cuban faith as we experienced it during our visit. Why? Because God has not bestowed the same blessings on his children in Cuba that we have in Birmingham, Michigan. Many of their congregation experienced food insecurity, lack of access to news and information, little economic opportunity, and more limited personal freedom than we enjoy. But this does not mean that they do not express gratitude even now. To the contrary, I found the congregation in Cuba to be far less selfish, more thankful, and even more open hearted than most people I encounter in the United States.
Pastor Miguel reminded his congregation, and also reminds us, that we are blessed when we fail the bar exam, we are blessed when we lose our jobs, and we are blessed when a valued friend or loved one does not survive their illness. Not only are we blessed during all of these difficult times, but we should express faith and gratitude as well. We are not blessed only when we get what we want. Sometimes we receive more than we deserve, while others who deserve receive nothing.
Pastor Zack followed with a conversation and a lesson about the meaning of love. In the same way that we should not give thanks for our blessings only when we feel triumphant, we also should not shy away from loving when it's inconvenient, difficult, or tiring. Does this mean we accept everyone exactly how they are? Not necessarily. But just as we can rejoice when times are tough, we can love someone and try to help them improve. We can apply this logic to ourselves as well. Perhaps more important is our duty to fall in love with the unloveable. Pastor Zack reminded us of all of the "unlovable" people who Jesus loved. In the same way that we give thanks in times of trouble, we know that God intends us to reach out to refugees, to the homeless, to people who are incarcerated, and share our love with them. In both love and faith, why don't we all try a little harder not to be fair weather fans?
Amen and Amen!
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