Rochester, MN UCC - "Finding Life" - Matt. 16:24-28 NIV

FOR WHAT WILL IT PROFIT THEM IF THEY GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD BUT FORFEIT THEIR SOUL?

Matthew 16:24-28 (NIV)

 During our service-learning trip to Tucson our group witnessed a number of immigrants to our country in vulnerable and tragic situations- some waiting in the Sonoran Desert to plead for asylum after fleeing mortal danger, some waiting in a courtroom to hear their sentence for crossing a border in search of a better life, some waiting in shelters for a court to decide if they will be allowed to stay. Encountering these people, not as news stories or political talking points, but as fellow children of God struggling to survive was impactful and often deeply sad. Why did we bring our youth to witness such tragedy? What did we hope they would gain?

 I’ve come to think of this witness as exercising our souls. The soul is thought of as the truest part of yourself, as the image of God within you. Your soul is the part of you that is most directly tied to God, that which yearns for greater connection to the divine. We believe that God loves and cares for all of humanity, but especially for the poor, the foreigner, and the stranger. When we witness our immigrant neighbors in distress, witness them risking their lives to save their children, our souls are stretched by empathy, compassion, sadness, and love. Space is created within us to love those whom God loves and to care for those for whom God cares. Such witness exercises our souls and brings us closer to the heart of God.

 There are a number of responses to the crises at our border that emphasize what our country has to lose or to gain by certain policies. But when such policies cut us off from the reality of our neighbor’s suffering and offer solutions with no regard for their well-being- they shrink our capacity to love and to care for those whom God loves. They offer us worldly gains at the cost of our souls. “For what shall it profit them if they gain the world but lose their souls?” This Sunday, come and learn from our youth about what they witnessed at our border and allow your soul to be exercised; in doing so you will hear stories of great sadness, but you may also find your soul to be growing in compassion and love. You may find yourself moving closer to the heart of God.

Pastors Andrew Greenhaw and Shannon Smith