The beginning of Sunday night's Olympic Opening Ceremony focused on the indigenous people of Canada. Initially, this seemed an enormously progressive perspective until one looked outside the stadium to find groups of native protesters. It seems the tribute was merely a concession to having built some of the Olympic buildings over sacred indigenous burial sites. Ashes.
Almost eight and a half years after the event, the site of the World Trade Center collapse remains a large hole in the ground. While this may indeed be a fitting symbol of all that tragedy represents, in fact it is greed, political posturing and infighting, human pettiness, and wrangling over insurance claims that has kept the site empty. As long as the address continues to be prime real estate, the nearly 3000 memories that linger there will remain dishonored. Ashes.
Another grave was dug this week for a loved one gone from me. Jewelry companies would have us believe that diamonds, with their artificially inflated value, are the most exquisite expression of love on the planet. Yet as the dirt was placed over the body of my old friend, I felt that love itself is the most rare and precious commodity we can know. And in that sorrow, I know less of it now. Ashes.
As a young Christian, I was taught that our faith was about joy and triumph. That it was an ever-upward movement. Our worship reflected it. Our evangelism was fueled by it. Now I look back and see that as folly, as mere ash. Christianity is about life. And life is often about sorrow. Disappointment. Fear. Loss. The unique call we receive as followers of the Crucified One is that we can become companions to the sorrow without being consumed by it. We can take on the ashes without becoming ash ourselves.
The message of the Cross is the same as the message of the Birth--Emmanuel--I am with you. Even in your poverty. Even in your suffering. Even in your dying. Never abandoned. Never alone.
May this joy of ashes be yours during this Lenten season.
David Wade was a part of The Church of the Saviour before moving to Virginia Beach, where he facilitates The Welcome Table, now celebrating its third anniversary. They meet at 6:00 in the chapel on the grounds of Virginia Wesleyan College.
Whenever I read what David writes... I get shivers. This feels like God's truth to me. I'd love to have a collection of his sermons and meditations in book form to go back to again and again...
I appreciate David very much and I trust my twinge of Canadian defensiveness doesn't contradict that! As metaphor and rhetoric, David is quite insightful and illuminating. Journalistically, maybe not quite so exact.
There may have been some First Nations protesters in the crowd durng the Olympic opening ceremonies in Vancouver - there certainly were during the torch run across Canada leading up to the ceremonies - but the majority of protesters were not (some were actually Americans brought in for the occasion). Most were protesting - and quite legitimately - the cost of the Olympics and how it bled money away from dealing with poverty and homelessness and other pressing social issues, and how the Olympic and municipal leaders dislodged homeless people from the streets of Vancouver to make way for visitors and to spruce up the city's image. Some were using the international focus to bring attention to their own personal and group causes as well. And some were just out for a good time and to blow off some steam.
Actually, the strong presence of First Nations people and imagery at the ceremonies came from something more fundamental: a recognition and a decision from the beginning of the preparations for the Olympics in BC that the true hosts of the games are the original peoples of this land. That is quite a strong statement - if somewhat symbolic as, truly, the road to recovery of land, culture, identity, pride, health, equality, dignity ... is a long road still, worthy of all the protests, prayer, sacrificial effort, and inspiried words that people from each of the four directions can muster.
Ted
Can unconditional love be born except through sorrow, disappointment, fear, loss?
Love comes
In the most humble of circumstances and attitudes;
In openness and in detachment
In non-possessiveness and in poverty
In emptiness and in longing
In grief and in sorrow
Love comes
and makes a home.
I've never read or heard of David before, but this is good. Very good.
Is there somewhere to read more from David Wade?
The piece today touches me deeply... are his sermons and/or meditations accessible anywhere... Thank you.
Beautiful thoughts, David, thank you. One small quibble with the facts of the Olympics - Opening Ceremonies were on Friday February 12,not Sunday.
If you search the i/o archives, you'll find 3 other writings by David. (A fourth was annihilated by the hackers...they were "threatened by resurrection" perhaps?) Also you'll find some pieces if you Google "David Wade Sojourners."
Hi Kayla,
Is it possible to get David's email address? I belonged to Wounded Music for most of its brief life and have lost touch with David and his family. Thank you for this site. Peace,
Angela.
I especially like this line from David's piece. "We become companions to the sorrow without being consumed."
I am so naive sometimes. I conjure up in my mind how wonderful that something is going to be, then get disappointed and have to re-coup yet again. It is a very tiring process, and I am just now recovering from another stress related health issue over it. I get disappointed with life, with the consistency of ashes. I keep telling myself that someday I will learn to not set myself up like this. Someday I will deal with reality better. I don't know.
I also like what David Wade wrote "The message of the Cross is the same as the message of the Birth--Emmanuel--I am with you. Even in your poverty. Even in your suffering. Even in your dying. Never abandoned. Never alone."
The intricacy of the relationship with the Trinity and man kind is amazing. I never tire of hearing about it, studying it. Now, if I can just put it into action - say hum??
Thank you David for giving voice to the 'itch in my mind', the 'sense of knowing' that I can't put in to words myself, but need to hear.
Deanna Jean
Very poignant for me as I have just lost a friend with an inoperable tumour
Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts. I send out these reflections on an irregular basis via email. If you would like to put on that list, please email me at welcometable@cox.net. I'd be happy to add you and to hear your thoughts as well.
blessings,
David
In response to Julie's post questioning whether unconditional love can be born except through sorrow, disappointment, fear, and loss...
my answer, my thoughts:
Absolutely YES, without a doubt! I believe that unconditional love is just as often birthed out of joy, compassion, hope, and from the good and positive aspects of human nature. Unconditional love is not compatible with a judging heart which I believe is the source of much of our sorrow and disappointment, and yet this pure love thrives and grows when we open and free our hearts from the constraints of selfishness and prejudice. When we open our spirits and our hearts to the Divine Within, loving others as we would be loved becomes a part of who we are, and loving unconditionally becomes just what we do, with the help of the Holy One.
In the joy of living and loving in community, we all know pain and sorrow, but that is never all there is. Out of the ashes of fire and flame and doubt and pain, the phoenix rises to new life - the ashes don't have the final say. The message of unconditional love is always one of enduring blessing and hope.
Thanks for the chance to share my take on this...
ljm
David,
It's great to hear your voice. This touches me deeply in many ways, but especially as a hospital chaplain who sees my call as one of walking with people through sorrow, fear and loss (as well as some joyful times) and no matter how extensive the chaplain training it's all about reminding patients (and family members and hospital staff) how deeply they are loved. This is always met with great joy and I think they would agree that love is indeed the most precious commodity in the world, especially when you are ill or dying or accompanying one who is. Peace, Angela.
As a chaplain, I'm particularly appreciative of your phrase, "companions of sorrow without being consumed by it." So very true.
I struggled a bit with this one, and I appreciate Ted and Lydia providing some balance that helped me. I needed more input about the reasons for the protests. And I needed to feel that love can abound in every situation, good or bad, if we just open ourselves up and allow that love to grow and bloom and provide sweetness and encouragement to whatever circumstances we are in.
JESUS LOVED US TO FOLLY - HE "consumed our ashes"!!!
At the Last Supper HE gathered with HIS MOST 'Intimate Friends' - the "chosen twelve", those whom HE had shared close company with - "I call you my Friends for I share with you everything that the FATHER has told me - the 'privileged ONES' - "To them I speak in parables but to you is revealed the "MYSTERIES OF THE KINKDOM".
HE was about to confect the EUCHARIST - transforming Bread and Wine into HIS BODY AND BLOOD. At this very table was the One..."he who dips his morsel in the bowl with me is the One"' - Judas was "the One".
JESUS "consumed our ashes" of hypocrisy, indifferance, political and worldly ambitions!
Into Gethsemane HE walked with HIS "Chosen Ones". They fell asleep while HE "sweated Blood". Within this Olive Garden HE was "consumed" as if in an 'olive press' - "FATHER, if it be possible let this cup pass from ME YET NOT MY WILL BUT THINE BE DONE". Then..."Judas, why do you BETRAY the SON OF MAN with a kiss"!
JESUS "consumed our ashes" of Betrayal, Lukewarmness,
Mental and Emotional anguish!
HIS PASSION continues ..."The SON OF MAN will be handed over to the unbelievers, the evildoers, who will scurge HIM, mock HIM, do every sort of Evil against HIM and put HIM TO DEATH".
JESUS "consumed our ashes" of Hatred, Physical and verbal abuse, Injustice of every kind and Murder!
THE CRUCIFIXTION ..."Though HE was without SIN, HE became SIN HIMSELF" for our sake, so that he might nail SIN to the CROSS! HIS last words: "IT IS CONSUMATED"!
"FATHER forgive them for they know NOT what they do".
JESUS "consumes our hardness of Heart" and makes our hearts pliable and POSSIBLE for us to FORGIVE -
a mandate to FORGIVE!!!
JESUS LOVED US TO FOLLY - THE "LOVE MOST RARE" and "THE MOST PRECIOUS COMMODITY THAT WE HAVE"!!!
For this we are "never abandoned, never alone" - His JOY is our JOY because "HE CONSUMED OUR ASHES"!!!
Another "consummation" that I intended but I see that I forgot to include here was the escalation of Fear and Confusion in THE Drama of that Olive Garden, Gethsemane. In this heightened drama the "Chosen Ones " fled and abandoned Jesus - HE was abandoned and alone in HIS hour of need. HE once said "I AM alone but I am not truly alone, for the FATHER is with me".
JESUS "consumed our ashes" of Fear, Confusion, Abandonment and Loneliness.
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