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Where there is hatred, let us sow love….

A man named Brother Jed was on campus today.  He was preaching hatred and damnation as the way we know that God is love.  He called women whores, and used language that rivaled Westboro Baptist to demean the GLBTQA community.  The list of people going to hell, included these people, as well as Muslims, Jews, (the very broad category of) foreigners…among others.

We expected this, and while not wanting to give him too much of our energy, thought it was important to have a religious presence, and a visible message of God’s love, right next to his vitriol.

We also wanted students passing by to have a chance to act positively, and faithfully, in response to the feelings he stirred up in everyone.  We encouraged students passing by to write blessings for the people who were targets of his hatred.  This is some of what they wrote:

• I pray that all people, gay, straight and anyone share the same love and same rights.
• You are beautiful people and you deserve to choose how you live no matter who you are!  We love you!  -Kelly and Jennifer
• God bless!  Don’t worry about what anyone says! Love, Samantha
• You are beautiful.  I accept you.
• Smile!  Jesus loves you!
• Love!
• God has loved, is loving, and will always love the whole world.
• God loves everyone even when they don’t love him.  God knows everyone even when they don’t know him.  God bless us ALL.  Amen.
• You are equal. You are amazing. That’s it.
• We can’t stop hate, but we can spread love.  And I love you all!
• Jesus loves gay people and all of us should too!  I LOVE MY GLBT FRIENDS!
• Not everyone is a hater!
• I pray that everyone knows that God loves them, no matter what!
• God loves everyone. No exceptions.
• Jesus loves you as you are.
• No one deserves hate.  Let’s love!
• My thoughts and love go out to all the women here!

And blessings for Brother Jed:

• I will never be convinced that you would love me, a gay Lutheran, but that is okay, because I love you and I pray for God to ever hold you and keep you.  Blessings to you.
• I pray that the negativity leave your soul.  God Bless.

AMEN!

A rude awakening.

Where there is hatred, let us sow love. -Prayer of St. Francis

All throughout my childhood– and still now, my mom would scold me harshly for saying, ‘hate,’ because it is a, “Very strong word.” After my experience today, for the first time, I understand what she means. We hear about hate constantly in the news and in casual conversations with friends, but I’m sure I’ve never truly experienced it.  Brother Jed’s message today in Northrop Mall on the U of M campus was, to me, a direct message of pure hate. This is all very complex. Overwhelming. Discouraging. Emotionally troubling. As I listened to his messages of hate toward atheists, GLBTQ community, women in general, I became so disturbed to the point of my stomach turning, legs shaking, and uncontrollable tears as I thought of all of my friends and family who fit into these categories—all who apparently deserve to go to hell. According to what I’ve learned starting in Sunday School as a pre-schooler, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. God loves everyone. And while I believe that, it literally makes me sick to my stomach to think that this man is my brother in Christ as he’s openly and genuinely calling people whores and sinners. Maybe it’s the strong optimist in me, but despite all of the hate I hear about on a daily basis, I guess I try to be ignorant to it actually existing like this. The fact that some of the students who heard his message today took it to heart and believe it is heartbreaking to me. That was not God’s love. Not at all. Fortunately, Brother Jed doesn’t hang out on the mall everyday. Unfortunately, it may have been someone’s only message/picture of what God’s love and God’s people look like… which really really crushes me. I literally wanted to hug everyone there or move everyone away from this negativity to a different spot and have a dance party or something. But even better… many students listening to Brother Jed created a positive interruption of his message by writing hopeful and positive blessings for the many people–strangers or best friends– who were discriminated against today. Love wins.

You are loved. No matter what.

Kalysta Schlitter

Tuesdays Together

Today was another wonderful day on the Twin Cities campus. I started my day by surprisingly not running late to my first class. What a plus! My mind was busy, full of my many assignments I must complete when I realized that today was Tuesday. Which means today was a soup day at Grace! Soup was wonderful, and just like at pause last week, there were a lot of new faces. This Tuesday however was not just an ordinary Tuesday. It was in fact the second Tuesday of the month. This can mean only one thing, that I get to help out at Tuesdays Together. Now tonight was the first time I had ever gone and I was nervous but excited to help. When we got there Tom explained to us that we would be watching and entertaining the kids for the evening. This would be fun! We were shown around the community center, but I still had a few butterflies in my stomach. When we were shown the gym a little girl came out and gave me hug. She said hi and then ran and played. My nerves were at once settled, maybe this wouldn’t be so hard! In that moment I knew I could do it! The kids were adorable and I loved every minute of it! I can’t wait to go back in a month and help again!

Curiosity in action

Of the five values we hold at LCM: hospitality, service, justice, integrity, and curiosity, I have the most trouble living out curiosity on a daily basis. In my classes over the past two years here at the U, I think I’ve trained myself to just accept and write down everything my professors tell me. After all, they are the experts on the subjects, and I’m supposed to be the sponge… soaking up all of the information!! This was okay for me while taking my Lib-Ed requirements just to get a grade for the first four semesters, but something clicked this summer for me as I became more interested/passionate about what I was learning in my program and from the greater world around me.

I was blessed to nanny for a family with two young girls this past summer. I was surprised on a daily basis by the imagination and genuine curiosity of the 3 year-old. She could play at the park–mostly by herself as I was holding her 8 month-old sister–for hours. Pretending to be a pirate, playing house with her imaginary friends, watching the birds,  and asking me SO many, “Why?” questions. “Kalysta, why are those birds all together?” “Why is that guy walking by us?” She even noticed a colony of ants on a walk one day–something that I would have walked right past– sat down on the ground next to them and asked, “What are they doing?” Pure, spontaneous curiosity. This is something I’ve let go of, I think, because of the college bubble that I’ve been in for two years.

In goal-setting for myself this semester, I’ve decided to BE CURIOUS by asking- either verbally to my professors/peers or mentally to myself while reading or learning- Why? Why am I learning this? Why is this important? Using a three year-old as my role model and inspiration, I hope to dig deeper and grow. Constantly learning, wondering, and appreciating the greater world around me.

Stay curious, folks 🙂

Kalysta Schlitter

Experiencing God in unexpected places!

LCM Blog 9/4/12

The cool crisp air ran through my tossled hair as I slowly made my way along the west river road. Saturday morning was one of the most beautiful mornings I have experienced in some time and I was able to take time to get out for  a nice long ride through the gorgeous city I now call my home. Although fall has always been my favorite season, there is something about the last few days of summer, the feeling of freedom, and the ready to turn trees that gives me a little extra energy. After a long week of leadership training, meetings, and moving in I needed to take some time for myself and explore the wonderful trails I am so privileged to have around me. It seems like I always have a lot on my plate and my mind continuous juggles far too many thoughts but on this ride I had an overwhelming sense of peace rush over me. I was about half way through my ride and decided to stop along the river and take in the beauty that surrounds me everyday. As I stood along the path taking in the glorious creations of god I also began to notice the others around me. The groups of mothers jogging with their strollers, the intense biker who was on a mission, or the family strolling through the park with there children. This was a major god siting for me. I felt as though it was the place I needed to be in that exact moment. To be there noticing all of the wonderful lives others have and how grateful I am to be able to be healthy enough to be on a bike, and close enough to be out enjoying such beautiful landscapes. I was reminded that morning of the importance of gratitude and being thankful for the ability to be able to perform everyday tasks, and that god is always there opening your eyes a little bigger, or speaking a little more clearly in the most unexpected of moments.

Amanda

Beginnings

1 Corinthians 12:14-20

‘Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body.’

This is a common passage that is frequently read. Despite how often we encounter this text, it is important to remember that we too are necessary as a part of community. At Lutheran Campus Ministry, we have a community like no other on the University of Minnesota campus. It is no surprise that the U of M campus is huge and often times feels overwhelming. Feeling as though you belong at the U can be a great fear. I had this same anxiety when starting college, but after becoming a part of the LCM community I truly feel like I belong here. At LCM I feel free to be who I am, no exceptions. I can bring any questions or problems that I am experiencing and have support to work through whatever is going on.

Know that whoever you are, whatever is going on in your life, there is always a place where you will be welcomed. We hope to see you soon! Come join us for Tuesday Soup (free!) every Tuesday, starting Sept. 4^th, from 11:30am-1pm.

Laura McDowell

Curiosity as a value of faith

During leadership training we are revisiting our values as a ministry: hospitality, service, justice, integrity, and curiosity.

Curiosity: the desire to learn.

It is a value integral to deep faith, yet often overlooked in religion. Jesus is referred to as “teacher,” which means that we are his students. Our role is to question, to explore, to be curious.

Professors can lecture for an entire two hours, but nothing will take root without the students’ investment.

In the same way, we can live our lives at face value, simply accepting things as they seem, never questioning the why or the how. But without curiosity, without the hunger to learn, we can never know the world, each other, ourselves, or God as deeply.

As an exercise during training, we walked around campus and brought back an item or photograph of something that represents curiosity. A few of us returned with items from trees.

Trees, as they stand, are majestic. Without much curiosity, one can appreciate a tree as beautiful, tall, green. With curiosity, however, one can delve beneath the bark and into the leaves, wondering why this life exists and how this life is sustained. With curiosity, we reach a much deeper level of understanding and awe, astounded by the complexities and details of a life longer than our own.

And the deeper we go, the more curious we become – it is a never-ending journey.

In this way, by questioning and exploring our religions, our faiths, we delve ever deeper into the complexities and intricacies of God, never fully knowing and always hungering for more.

How I Have Seen God…

I didn’t join LCM until my sophomore year here at the U of M. My freshman year, I didn’t see God, mainly because I wasn’t looking.

Fast forward to my senior year…

In one of the first weeks of this school year, I paused for a moment during on our events, and I thought to myself, “since when did so many cool people start coming to LCM?” I don’t mean to offend anybody who came to LCM prior to this acknowledgement. It’s my fault. The cool people were always here, and I wasn’t. Up until this past fall, I never realized their greatness. I wasn’t present enough to do so. I was too caught up in my own world, trying to be my own savior.

Well that didn’t work.

You can’t find God if you’re not looking. Up until this year, I wasn’t looking hard enough. And then I opened my eyes. I noticed those who were present with me, and there God was too.

I was having a chat recently with another LCMer, which sparked this thought process. She told me about how important has been in her life this year. She thanked me for being a role model. I found this funny, because I didn’t join LCM to be a role model. I came for the same reasons she did:

To find friends.

To find community.

To find faith.

To find some reason to be hopeful.

To find a place to struggle, where struggling is socially acceptable, and where others are struggling right a long side of you.

That’s where God meets us, after all, in the struggling. So it makes sense that this is where I saw God. We all have brought our whole selves to this place, meaning we brought our struggles, our insecurities, our worries, our doubts, our imperfections, and we’re still okay. We have each other, and we have God. This community has meant more to me than any community I have ever been a part of. Because the people are real. The people care. The people love. And in those people, I have seen God, because I finally had the sense to look.

I love you all so much, and I will miss you all immensely!

Best of luck in all that you do!

-Ellen