What’s Influencing YOU?

I almost hate to admit it but I know that I’m impressionable.  The other day I received an e-mail from one of you which showed a top notch violinist playing at a busy commute location just to see if people would stop and listen.  Interesting!  Well, the article happened to mention some of the violin music he was playing; J.S. Bach’s Partita for solo violin No. 2 in D minor.  It was acclaimed as one of the more challenging pieces and so I looked it up on the Internet and now have the CD on my desk.  Indeed, I’m listening to that very arrangement as I type this letter.  Sweet!

I was blessed (influenced) by “you.”  Indeed, as we share our thoughts with each other I think we are affected more than we often know … for the good or ill of it.  Seen a good movie lately?  Read a good book?  I’m listening! :)

The other day I was visiting with our pastors at our Magic Valley Interfaith Association meeting.  One of the people present showed concern over being “prepared” for a disaster if it were to come. (And from the tenor of her voice, I think she indeed thought “it” would.)  I decided to add my “two cents” and said, “I know that there is interest in being prepared to survive or do our best in the event of a disaster whether it come from terrorist or any other extreme, but might there be something we can do as a faith community to help get at the root causes?”  From there we discussed having an open forum night at a place like CSI or the Roper where we could invite people of different faiths to respond to those questions that currently divide us.  One person chimed in, “Well, I don’t want to play ‘devil’s advocate’ here but don’t the Moslems want all of us Americans dead?”  Ahh, I said, now that’s the very question we need asked in such a setting.  Others agreed. 

We ARE influenced by what we hear … and sometimes to our great undoing.  When I shared such thoughts with our Episcopalian friends at a Wednesday morning Eucharist service, one of the ladies came up to me afterwards and suggested a book, The Faith Club, which was written by three women from three faith traditions, Jewish, Christian and Moslem following the 9-11 attack.  I now have several copies of this fine book and am looking forward to discussions with others.  Is it possible to build bridges (or recognize those that are truly already there) of understanding with people of other faiths … bridges that might help to diminish the fear, misunderstandings and polarities which fuel divisions among us?  I surely believe so!

As Christians, I think we need to be those who try to live with an “influence” shaped by our Lord who came to connect us to God’s heart … one that “so loved” the whole world that he would die to show the depth of that love.  Influence.  Now there it is!

As the Spirit of Jesus leads us on to enjoy all that is good, celebrate all that unites and work to promote all that uplifts, forgives, encourages and heals … let us pray to be under that influence!

God bless you with an influential summer! 

Pr. Dan J