1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
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| A nurse log. Credit: Phil Simonson |
The Background to the Story...
Judy’s going to read the letter, and as we listen to it, I invite you to reflect on what we can learn from Paul about how we persevere with our faith, belief and truth when they meet with opposition.
What images and metaphors might be helpful to understand who we are and what we can be,
first, when our belief and neighbourly practice are challenged,
second, when we need to become a better community by learning from these experiences,
third, when we need to challenge those who don’t see the value of our faith, truth and hope.
Message
Like a wet nurse, like a nurse tree, like a nurse log, like a ,,,
There are times when our beliefs or plans meet the opposition of others. There are also those times when we need to oppose the plans of others because we see in them something to improve, or something to change, something to disagree with. In the dictionary, opposition is defined as "Resistance or dissent, expressed in action or argument." For example, “There was considerable opposition to the proposal.” Opposition can also mean a group of adversaries or competitors, especially a rival political party or athletic team, in “They beat the opposition.”
Opposition to some person, some group, or some project has the potential to evoke very strong emotions or strong disagreement, emotionally affecting both groups involved in the situation. These feelings and emotions like anger, disappointment and alienation are almost unavoidable. Strong emotions are part of our humanity, and they are natural human reactions to the intensity of being challenged.
When we disagree, when we need to make a change (in organizations, in institutions, in society), when we have to break an oppressive silence, we engage with the process of opposition. I love to reflect on what Reinhold Niebuhr said: we, as mixed beings, good and bad, are not angels; sinful beings, yet still calling for justice.
Therefore, if we really have thought it through and reflected on our thinking, and still believe that we must persevere with what we believe and that we trust the validity of our belief, faith, hope for justice, hope for love, we must move on with the truth of ourselves. We open to the discovery of new learning on the evolving path.
Then - what would be our spirituality in this process - especially with our emotions?
Our belief, passion and commitment to the better future and justice often calls us to take up our cross. When we lift up our voices to advocate justice for ourselves and for others, the actions and reflections we engage with deeply touch our whole being; because we are not just the “objects” but the “subjects” of the justice we lift up our voices for. Of course, we can be criticized as being “social justice warriors” if we fail to hide our anger or are seen as being “too passionate”, risking relationships. The emotions of anger and hurt need to be embraced and validated as true and valuable components of healing and action. However, these positions are not always accepted in places or discussions where we are expected to discuss things “emotion-neutral”. First of all, I embrace the important role that emotions play in our growth. I also learn truth from others. One day, I raised my voice to challenge the white privilege I saw at play in a particular decision-making process. When I sat with a very wise elder and questioned the process, she told me, with the best of intentions to help me, support me, and listen to me, “I hear from you ‘anger’ and ‘a lot of judgement.’” She said, she believes the learning happens when we are invited to the middle circle: moving from the definite comfort zone (first circle) to learn in the middle circle where we feel uncomfortable yet still feel safe. (Third circle: Panic zone)
She said, in all situations, we need to make sure that no one feels attacked, erased, and disrespected because we all are children of God. No one should feel that their core - "beloved and loving" - is threatened.
Now Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonians, has something to teach us about how we engage with each other in the second circle, or even in the third circle - when we are moved away from the unlearning, safe zone. These circles can be with family, with church members, with neighbours, with friends, in our workplace, any place where we are human, vulnerable, rigid, and in between... where we have to trust that there’s transformative power when we open to the Other to engage authentic conversation, … Open to examine our truth while we also invite others to do the same.
In the competitive, male world of his time, where masculinity were praised over femininity and social orders were extremely hierarchical, Paul adopted very striking image of “a wet nurse”. Verse 7, “We are gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children.” This verse reminds me of a cherished memory. My university professor, a catholic nun, was my mentor; she taught world religions and contemplative prayer. I looked up to her and followed and admired her, and she told me one day, “Ha Na. Be gentle like a dove, wise like a serpent.” Only a few days later, I found that her wise words came from the Bible. From Jesus, actually. Even at the time, the word “gentle” stood out to me. “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Or even in the King James Version, “harmless as doves.” "Gentle, harmless, innocent" was counterintuitive to my younger self who believed that to overcome our adversaries, we should be strong and outsmart the others.
When Paul was seeking temporary safety in Thessalonica, the chief city of Macedonia, a sea port, (see the picture of the Modern city of Thessaloniki) where people of many cultures and religions huddled together in a kind of urban slum, he stayed with a group of leatherworkers - young males. Paul set up shop in the leatherworker quarters, living and working among them. This was a tough male world, with only the occasional woman working with them when they made garments. There were many travelling popular preachers, who were selling their messages, obviously competing with each other. So, in this tough, masculine, competitive community, Paul adopts the image of a wet nurse – the most feminine of images, to tell his “brothers” what his brotherly love is for them. Verse 8, “So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.”
Even in our contemporary world, where we fight for justice, fight to make our voices heard, fight to tell the truth of the lived reality of the vulnerable, the marginalized, the oppressed in our city, it seems that masculine, strong, images are preferred. What’s the message we most often receive from the world or media about how we survive? Be tough, endure, fight, compete, win, — dominantly masculine images.
But nurse images are compellingly striking. Primarily, Paul presents himself as “nurse” to the fledgling congregation. Even a wet nurse caring for her children. Now I wonder whether I am willing to challenge myself to believe in the powerful holiness and effectiveness of the Divine femininity.
I searched up other nurse images, following this reflection. I learned that when we reflect on the life of Jesus, the cross, and the resurrection, Jesus is really a nurse image. Feeding, caring, giving his own self.
I find the image of a nurse tree.
A nurse tree is a larger, faster-growing tree that shelters a small, slower-growing tree or plant. The nurse tree can provide shade, shelter from wind, or protection from animals who would feed on the smaller plant.
I have also found the metaphor of a nurse log beautiful. A nurse log is a very beautiful, sacred image for a church like us - not because we have fallen - No. We have not fallen. (Though - what’s wrong with being fallen?) But because we believe in what we can do, as a nurse log does: as Paul says, "Share with our neighbours not only the gospel of God but also our own selves.”
These huge nurse logs are the key to new growth and the survival of the entire forest. So much of a fallen tree’s mass is taken up with other organisms, a fallen tree is more alive than a standing one. To speak from the perspective of a micro-organism or a worm, nurse trees or nurse logs are a poem. (from the book, There’s a Hair in My Dirt)
And the nurse log, the fallen tree, provides “ecological facilitation” to seedlings to enable the new small trees, growing with new hopes, dreams and possibilities. To a seedling, a nurse log offers water, moss thickness, leaf litter, disease protection, nutrients, and sunlight, from the gap in the canopy where the tree used to stand.
Through my first two months here, knowing more deeply about Immanuel has fascinated me.
What are our hopes, dreams, plans, risks, tensions?
I believe it is worth going back to the earlier questions.
What images make sense to you and help you to understand who we are, and what we can be?
Can you think of images other than the nurse images?
How will we embrace the love Divine when we are challenged to be a better neighbourly community?
When we need to challenge those who don’t see the value of our faith, truth and hope?
The nurse’s wisdom: All are children of God. The core of every one and every being is beloved and loving.
We give thanks to God.
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