A Different Celebration

         I am not a fan of the Fourth of July holiday. First of all, it’s in the summer and I actually prefer winter and the snowflakes and candles and hot cider holidays. Secondly, there are the fireworks and I happen to be a person who startles easily and have heard the stories of those with PTSD triggered by loud noises and have seen up close animals, domesticated and wild, traumatized by our ideas of entertainment. And finally, and I know this is unpopular, I’m just not that comfortable with all the patriotism and more, I am deeply offended by Christian nationalism. So, no, I’m not a fan of the celebrations that are carried out this week.

         Knowing this about myself I have tried this year to create a different holiday. I am working on remembering those Americans I admire and look up to. The truth tellers, the prophets, the activists who hold the mirror in front of us and say, “We can do better.” So, I’m thanking God for folks like Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dorothy Day, and Cesar Chavez. I’m recognizing people from this country who stand up for righteousness and side with the poor, who remind me of what is great about America. And I’m trying something else. I am searching for ways to honor what I love about this country, focus on what makes us great, our inclusivity, our diversity, our commitment to respect and honor the freedom to worship God in our many ways or those who choose not to worship at all.

         Recently, a mosque in Portales, NM was vandalized. More than once someone has broken in and damaged the sacred property. In honor of what I know we stand for in America, I am collecting money to send to the members of the mosque to help in rebuilding. I invite you to join me in showing appreciation for our neighbors, to celebrate the beauty of our people, and to keep our bright lights of acceptance and compassion and humility shining.

         You can send a check to NMCC PO Box 26782, Albuquerque, NM 87125 or give electronically on our website, www.nmchurches.org. Just make sure you mark your donation as “Mosque”.

         Whether you choose this week to support this endeavor of NMCC or find your own way to celebrate the best of who we are, I hope you are safe, know rest, and like me, enjoy the opportunity of remembering the saints from our shores, and maybe, without the fireworks.

You are the light of the world.

Yours,

Lynne