The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
When our bishop met with our vestry on Sunday, she asked us “What’s your dream for Trinity? Whether it feels too big, too small, too scary, too impossible, let us hear it.” We heard a few of them and in the coming weeks, our vestry and I will continue to dream, wonder, and imagine together all that is possible. We need you to do the same. The first 3-4 responses from vestry members seemed, on the surface, to be unrelated. Homelessness, a labyrinth, and a having a theology discussion group at a local bar were the first few – these three ideas are linked in that they would take us beyond our doors. Each idea holds the hope of connecting with those who don’t yet have a faith community.
To be human is to be connected to each other. To be human is to desire and need those connections. We discover our humanity most fully when we are in relationship with another. Martin Buber, the Jewish philosopher, pointed out that in any relationship there is I, thou, and I-thou. Buber meant that the relationship between two people forms a “person,” too. Each person comes to a relationship with that unique and sacred self that God has given unto the world. The new “person” is the I-thou, which exists between those in relationship. It is a relationship of great love and beauty. It does not obliterate the individual, but is a creation in itself.
This way of understanding our relationships is powerful. It helps explain why we experience our connections with each other as bigger than ourselves. Amazing things happen in the space that connects one to the other. As individuals we can achieve little on our own, but together we can move mountains. Together, there is the potential for inspiration, creation, imagination, and the incarnation of love.
So what’s your dream for Trinity? And to whom would it connect you? I look forward to hearing your responses!
Your Sister in Christ,
Molly+
