Thurs., May 4, 2023
Anne williamson
Hallelujah Anyway
‘What does the Lord require of you but to act justly, love mercy
and walk humbly with your God’ (Micah 6:8).
The words of the prophet Micah resonate with me and challenge me and I am always exploring how I might live into those actions. My exploration includes reading the wisdom of the biblical prophets, like Micah and Jonah, as well as modern prophets like Anne Lamont who describes mercy as ‘radical kindness’.
I included in my sermon on Sunday 4/30 an invitation to join me in reading Anne Lamont’s book ‘Hallelujah Anyway’ which was recommended to Bishop Rob Hirschfeld at a recent House of Bishops meeting ‘as a needed response to the cynicism and polarity of our current times’ and Bishop Rob in turn recommended it to the clergy of the Episcopal Church in New Hampshire. In Hallelujah Anyway, Lamont considers justice, mercy and humility, and then focusses in on mercy. As the dust jacket for the book says ‘…mercy gives us the chance to, in Lamont’s words, ‘soften ever so slightly’ to understand one another more deeply. By embracing mercy we give our families, our communities and even ourselves the opportunity to see the world in gentler and more engaging ways. Mercy is the medicine, the light that shines in dark places.’
The light shines both without and within, into the world around us and into our own hearts. I am reminded of Jesus’ words in the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy.’ (Matthew 5:7) So let us explore together how we might love mercy and practice radical kindness.
I am planning to offer the discussion on Hallelujah Anyway in mid/late June so there will be plenty of time to read the book! If there is enough interest, there will be one daytime discussion and one evening discussion, (in person is the plan at the moment) so let me know if you are interested in joining one of the discussions, and if you prefer daytime or evening. Further details will be in upcoming additions of the SJC e-news.
Blessing on your day!
Anne