Bishop Hughes addresses the emotional toll of hate and injustice in today’s world, acknowledging the pain many feel while emphasizing that responding to hate with hate leads to spiritual emptiness. Instead, she recommends three daily practices: cultivating gratitude, actively helping others, and seeking rest – both physical and spiritual – which will fortify us for the demanding ministry needed today. (Time: 6:06.)
Video Transcript
This is Bishop Hughes in the Diocese of Newark. Recently, someone shared with me what they’re struggling with in this time that we’re in, and as they said it: “You know what? These people hate us and I hate them right back.” And then they went on to say that it didn’t actually make them feel better to hate them right back, but they couldn’t stand what people were doing so much, they didn’t know what else to do but to hate them right back. But it didn’t leave them in a good place. Of course, it didn’t leave them in a good place, because that is not how God created us to be.
On one hand, I completely understand that hate in response, when you feel out of control, when you’re watching abuse of power, when you’re watching corruption, when you’re watching people be diminished or be dehumanized or spoken of in ways that are dehumanizing, in addition to the behavior towards them that is dehumanizing. When you see the loss of decency on a large scale, when you see the kind of re-interpretation of things that are historical fact, as if that they are something that we can simply forget and life will go right on. That when you see all of these things, and when you know people whose lives are in danger, of course you’re going to have a reaction to that.
So my question for us is, how do we react in such a way that we’re joining Jesus Christ, and that we are living out bold acts of justice, peace and love as we follow Jesus Christ – that’s what our mission statement says. We invite people to join us in following Jesus Christ into bold acts of justice, peace and love. It sounds like just the ticket for right now, but also it is a hard place to be when we watch the level of disregard for the dignity of other people go on.
So one of the things that I’m aware of is that when you’ve got a big task in front of you, it’s important to orient yourself towards that task. So we know that what we want to do is live into these bold acts of justice, peace and love, and what will help us do that? I’ve got three things in mind. One, that we need to practice gratitude. We need to spend time being grateful for the things that God has given us. That we pay attention every day, all throughout the day, different times in the day, thanking people for the goodness that they bring into our lives, or for the gift that they have given us just by their very presence or by taking care of something. And that we also are grateful for the world that God has put us in, that we notice the things that are part of creation, and that we’re grateful for those things. When you are spending time practicing gratitude, you forget to be fearful and you forget to be full of hatred, because you get very much caught up in the love that God has for all of us. So one is practicing gratitude.
Two is to help God’s people, wherever they are and with whatever they need. And when I say God’s people, I mean all people, because God created all people. I don’t mean just Episcopalians. I don’t mean just Christians who believe the way you believe, but I mean all people. When God says, “Feed my sheep,” God isn’t talking about one or two little sheep from one herd. God is saying a”ALL of the sheep!” Please take care of God’s people. When we start taking care of God’s people, then we forget to think of ourselves as helpless. Find somebody every day that you can help.
And then the last thing that I think is really important right now is to get good rest. Some of this is we are tired. We’re tired of the non-stop intensity, the non-stop abuse that we’re seeing, the-non stop lying that we’re seeing, the non-stop distortion of things, that that wears us down. So what we have to do is put ourselves in the place where we see truth and where we see love and where we see God’s peace. Part of that is getting enough sleep, but part of that is taking a break for those other things. Take a break from your devices. Take a break from cable news. Take a break from the voices that are bent on telling you what you cannot accomplish, and put yourself in the presence of God, whether that’s go sit in a quiet church someplace, or to sit in your backyard or in a park or go for a walk, to read scripture, to listen to your favorite music or listen to hymns that you like, to read spiritual autobiographies – put yourself in a place where you get not only good physical rest, but good spiritual rest.
It takes hard work, deep faithfulness and fortitude to do the kind of ministry that we’re talking about doing today. And if you are one who wants to live into those bold acts of justice, peace and love, then it is very important that you feed your own spirit. So on a daily basis, find ways, look at ways, to practice gratitude. Make that part of your life on a daily basis. Find someone that you can help. Make that a part of your life. On a daily basis, put yourself in the presence of God and get good rest. No matter how it is you want to serve God and God’s people, God will meet you there you.
