Why I Am Protestant
Tony E Hansen
Reflection on Luke 19: 1-10, Habakkuk 1: 1-4;2:1-4, Psalm 119
Opening Prayer
Happy Reformation Sunday!
I’m proud to be a Protestant and I would like to tell you why.
I grew up in a devout Catholic family who served the church with my talents as a musician and reader. I grew a love for the church. Then, the church challenged that love. I tried to change myself to appease, but I was denying who I was and what I bring to God.
I stepped away from the church, in large part, because I no longer wanted to be a part of a church didn’t really welcome me when leaders would seek to demoralize and dehumanize. They caused serious hurt to my family to the point that I did not like to even step into a church.
I studied many other traditions from Asia (thanks in part to loose connection to martial arts) and those helped to broaden my spirituality.
Still, I longed for a relationship with God through church. That may be sort of like Zacchaeus in our lesson who is climbing trees just to see Jesus.
I then found a different church. Thing is that I was already attending meetings for a couple good groups at the church, but to see and hear this message was radically different than what I heard in my youth. It was less stinging nor charged with vitriol and spite for people.
Instead, this church offered a welcome no matter who I was or where I was on life’s journey. This felt like a true witness of the welcome of God.
Maybe God wasn’t locked up in one church or certain groups of peoples’ ideas of who God was or what God thinks. This was revelation to me and healing of long time hurt. It became a real chance to be what God has always wanted me to do.
God wants me to serve and serve I do. Why, because there are other Tonys, ladies, and gentle-folks out there needing to witness the power of this message too. They want to witness how the message is lived through the life and actions of God’s messengers and preachers, regardless of church hierarchies and traditions.
Over my time in ministry, thing is when this really came to life for me. I became that voice, that shoulder, that spiritual presence for folks who needed God instead of a callous judge, who need compassion instead of finger pointing. I observed transformations and relief in their witness. People need to witness this divine love and welcome because the Spirit transcends tradition because Jesus opens hearts when we let God be God instead of what we want and design God to be.
Thus, it makes sense that Jesus welcomes a tax collector, not because we love paying taxes, but because this person has done well for themselves through the collections.
Jesus sees this person’s effort climbing a tree to witness - Besides, Jesus could use place to sleep. In this exchange, Zachaeus offers a deal for Jesus - to make amends for past deeds.
Who among you have clean and perfect slates?
More importantly, would you acknowledge that you have been less forthcoming in your dealings with folks? Would you be willing to make amends?
This is one of the reasons why it is part of the 12 steps. This isn’t to say all people need to do this, but we do fall short. We do give people wrong ideas, and we may have gained at the expense of others. To acknowledge that is to realize that we fail - sometimes intentionally and sometimes unintentionally. (We have discussed in the past). Important point - is to name and acknowledge where we fail.
That is to name, to confess, and to hopefully grow in that confession. We may not be good all the time, but we can work to be better one day - first by acknowledging how we have fallen short.
Acknowledging and grow when doing business, when walking along the streets, or just coming to church. People pass judgements with ease, but God wants us to rise above that and be the welcome and grace of God to those around us.
That isn’t God being aloof or just an arbiter of justice. That is God exacting grace, forgiveness and love because we should too. That is God teaching us to forgive others because we acknowledge that we fail too. Even more-so, that means we too need that forgiveness in our own hearts, and God offers this for you to grow.
God offers a path for you and me.
Church leaders, for centuries, have taught some idea of this. Yet many fallen short or even used the power of the church to do harm, to distort God and turn people away from the limitless welcome and love of God. They have steered people to only think about God in certain ways without acknowledging that God comes to people in many diverse ways as God does.
This is the God I read in the gospels, the God who met us and wrestled with us, God who spoke as Allah to Muhammad and who enlightened the Buddha. This God gives perfect law and a divine realm on Earth - accessible to all who witness and live by faith in that great power.
This is why I returned to church and what God wants me to teach. This why I am a Protestant today because I protest an incorrect design of God that has been promoted to exclude for centuries. I protest the unwelcome and misrepresentations of the great understanding that God gives.
Why? because God loves you and me. God wants you to come down fro the tree and sit with at the dinner table. God wants you to acknowledge we fail, but God wants us to see what is so very possible with the love and grace we can extend.
That Beloved is…
Thanks Be to God
No comments:
Post a Comment