Friday's Thoughts

There is something about our belief system that pushes us to self-deprecation. As people of faith, concerned about being too proud, aware of the concept of original sin, we tend to speak and think less highly of ourselves than we should.
Aware of our imperfections we become consumed with our inadequacies. Cognizant of our short comings we dwell on them.

There is something about patriotism that, sometimes, pushes us to exhibit a dangerous chauvinism. We come to think so well of our country and we are so proud of affluence and freedom that is ours we tend to overlook the flaws of the country and develop an attitude toward the current prophets that suggests, with regard to the nation, "love it or leave it."

This year the fourth of July happens on Saturday. The fifth of July is Sunday. Sunday is the first Sunday of the month and that is the Sunday we celebrate communion.

I think communion has an important corrective. It causes us to reflect on our "soul-searching" and encourages us to look at our faults and work toward compensating for them so that our weakness becomes our strength.

Communion also enables us to consider our patriotic "flag-waving" and to understand that you can love our country and be compelled to face up to its shortcomings.

Coming to the table and taking the bread and the cup has an interesting and important short-term influence. It puts soul-searching and flag-waving into a perspective so that self-image and patriotism are given a healthy posture. We can realize the importance of ordinary people who are able to accomplish extraordinary things to the point that what happened to Anne Frank and her family and friends will never happen again.

What do you think about this?
What is the importance of communion?
Why does it give us this balance in life?

If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to allow others to read your thoughts click on the box below.


I look forward to hearing from you.

Charles Schuster