Rev. Vicky's Message May 8, 2025

Our Daily Word for Sunday is “Mother’s Love” and the affirmation is: “The tenderness of mother’s love shows me the presence of God on earth.”  

Sadly, not everyone has been blessed in this way in their relationship (or lack of one) with their mothers. Within the human condition, mothers show up on a spectrum of mothering skills and instincts (and lack thereof).

Nevertheless, the life-giving force of Divine Love (represented in the archetypal “mother’s love”) is available to us all at all times. And all those who selflessly share this mothering love (be they moms, dads, grandparents, coaches, teachers, friends, pastors, care-givers, etc.) give warmth and depth to the free-flowing, unconditional love of God.

The paradox about “selfless love” is that it is in the giving that we receive. The practice opens us to a multitude of lessons and opportunities to be transformed, and become ever–greater expressions of God’s Love in the world.

One of the lessons I have learned being a “JaJa” (what my grandkids’ call me) is my capacity for pure joy, that stems, I believe, from the unconditional love I feel for my grandchildren.

In our current world climate, however, I sometimes feel guilty and  question how I can experience so much joy in the shadow of climate anxiety, political/economic chaos, war, social divisiveness, and the world we are leaving our grandchildren?

But an article from this week’s Alban Institute at Duke Divinity School journal, reminded me that “JOY Is a Faithful Act in a Fractured World.”  The article points out that within our Judeo-Christian spiritual tradition, “joy has always been more than a fleeting emotion. It is an act of spiritual resistance.” 

“In fact, throughout Scripture, joy emerges not in the absence of struggle, but during it. This kind of joy is not escapism. It is a sanctified celebration; a refusal to let despair shape our imaginations.

“In this way, joy becomes a radical act of faith. To gather in worship, to sing, to laugh, to marvel at God’s gifts [like being a JaJa]  ––these are not mere distractions. They are subversive practices that keep us rooted in God’s promises. In a culture that prizes outrage, joy is countercultural.”

So, I hope you’ll join us Sunday to joyously worship, sing, laugh, and marvel at God’s gifts…as we explore and embrace the many  lessons and joys of becoming God’s Love in our lives and in  the world.

Blessings, Rev. Vicky