“Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce…seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”
–Jeremiah 29:5-7
This past Saturday, I was privileged to join with several Friends Church folks for the 2nd annual Pride Community Center Gala. This event helps raise funds and awareness for the work of the Center, an important organization serving the LGBTQ+ community in the Brazos Valley. Friends Church has supported the work of the Pride Community Center almost since its inception, and I’ve been so excited to see how they have grown over the years and expanded their reach in our community. At one point, several of us were commenting that there were so many Friends folks present that we could just have church right then—after all, we had pastors, a music director, and a bunch of choir folks!
All told, I counted about 20 Friends present, and I was moved to reflect on the impact that a small group of dedicated people can have on the world. Over 45 years ago, when Friends Church was just beginning, there was no such place like the Pride Center, no church community that would openly welcome LGBTQ folks, no gender affirming support groups or parents groups—and yet, some people had a vision that the world and the church could look different. From a small seed, a small group with a vision, a few people gathered to dream together, amazing things have been born. Whenever I get discouraged about the state of the world or feel like we are moving backwards, whenever I feel uncertain that I can make a difference, I try to remember those that went before me, and those right now around me, that are building and working and dreaming for a better world.
As you may have seen in the announcements recently, we begin a new sermon series this Sunday exploring “Untaught History,” stories from the past that we might not have heard before—and how we can find the good news in those transformational moments. As I’ve been researching my own contributions to this series, I’ve been amazed at the faith of those who worked and struggled for justice in the midst of a world that was hostile and even dangerous; the people who marched for gay rights in front of the White House in 1965, at a time when simply congregating with other queer people could get you arrested; those who fought to build schools for Black children in a time when the Klan and the power of the state sought to disenfranchise and deny them basic humanity; and so many other moments of courage and compassion. These stories remind me to always look for those that are dreaming for a different world—and then, join my lot with them. Because from that small seed, that vision born of hope, something new and more amazing than I could ever imagine is being born.
As our Jewish friends remind us, the Talmud teaches, “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly now, love mercy now, walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”
And as we gather to dream, to love, to serve, and to do justice, we are never alone.
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