On Tuesday, I received a phone call from someone who worshipped with us on Maundy Thursday.  She and her husband were especially moved by the video of the Franciscan Benediction and shared the prayer with their family.

 

As you may remember, I commented on the joy present in the eyes of the people in the video, many of whom were living in squalor.  Such joy is in sharp contrast to the quality of spirit so many of us seem to embody amidst our relative wealth and privilege.  Our sister in Christ had noticed not only the contrast from the video, but also in her work with the poor.  Why is this?  From where does such joy come?

 

It goes without saying, not every poor person is joyful and not every wealthy person lives in spiritual misery.  Moreover, as followers of Jesus Christ, we have a mandate to share in Christ's ministry to bring good news to the poor and alleviate the suffering of others.

 

Nevertheless, in my short life, I have watched the sideshow of our culture's spiritual deprivation - promoted by Jerry Springer, Maury Povich, TMZ and even the Today Show - become the center ring!  Is it simply that I have become "old" or could it be the decline of Mainline Protestantism has ushered in our cultural decline?  When we read the scriptures, the answer seems pretty clear.

 

When Margie and I were students at Princeton Theological Seminary, we had a friend from Ghana, Dinah Abbey Mensah.  Dinah is probably the most joy filled person we have ever met.  I will never forget the day she showed us pictures of her home in Ghana - a single room, cement block building, with a dirt floor.

 

People of faith, our family has a lovely life, a beautiful home, a wonderful church home, good food, excellent healthcare, everything we should want, for which we are grateful and appreciative.  Yet, we do not have Dinah's joy.  From where might such joy come?