By Lynette Johnson |
Oh, sing into the Lord, all Earth” Psalm 96:1
Psalm 96 encourages all of us to sing. Some time ago, I saw an article in the newspaper about…Elvis Presley…the one and only…Elvis! He sang and was heard throughout the earth. The article was about an event: the remembrance of his death in August 1977 and the activities that have occurred annually since the first anniversary of his death. People gather for a whole week to remember Elvis’ successful career and music, and to sell objects, articles, and mementos. In the story, Elvis´ followers were described as an homogeneous group of about 8,000 people, from the middle-aged to the elderly (people from 32-80 years old), all with one trait in common: an eagerness to adopt the look and the style of the 1960s and 70s.
The description of their devotion to Elvis seemed to me like the ritual devotion that might be given to an idol, the cult of a divinity, or the worship of certain symbols of celebrity manufactured through publicity to bolster the singer’s career. The week-long remembrance includes a procession resembling a via crucis, in which people carry candles, leave offerings to Elvis’ memory, hold vigils to mourn his death, and give comfort to one another. Through these actions, they adopt the symbols that distinguished him, such as dyed black hair, sideburns, black and gold colored clothes, chains, and boots. They even adopt his name and imitate his singing and motions.
All of it may be just for fun. But, to me, it is much more than fun. First, many people stressed their urgency to adopt “his likeness before they get too old.” This may reveal a sense of life’s brevity, a desire to grab youth and remain in it, because from Elvis’ symbols they derive an identity that keeps them in the past.
Second, they said “they want to let Elvis know that we care.” This means that their “king” still lives, and he can see and hear them.
Now, the composers and singers of the Psalter, in Psalm 96, gave a meaningful song to their people, who were going through very rough times. They were under the political, social, cultural, and economic dominion of foreign countries. Today, when the world clashes with more conflicts and challenges, when the leaders of the world are compromising the very existence of the planet, do we pastoral leaders have a port to anchor our souls when the winds and waters seem to blow forever, and our boats are flipping over? Can the people who look to us for guidance find a way to overcome? The composer of this song seems to have found an internal path to balance and strength that was not dependent on prevailing circumstances. Therefore, he could sing and rejoice.
Elvis’ followers, in their quest for an identity, for youth, and for a living king, cannot find any of those. Of course, I do not believe that Jesus expects us to dress and look like he did, or like John the Baptist either, but as I consider my career and the pastoral role, I would like to offer four questions, as food for thought. First, do Christian communities promote a similarly intense sense of close contact with, and celebration of, the Living King, the Lord Jesus, when the community gathers for worship and service? Second, do the members of Christian communities remember the sufferings and pain of our King when encountering daily hardships, or do we remain focused on the aggravations and personal discomforts of the moment? Third, do the liturgy and the service generated in our churches provide the tools to construct an identity? In spite of the many differences in the body, the Scripture teaches about values and ethics, endurance and courage, the fruit and gifts that develop in our personality when we persist in seeking the Lord. Fourth, do the leaders of various ministries keep searching for God wants them to become as leaders? What career and/or skills complement the plan He intends to develop?
These questions bring my mother to mind. As for the first, she was convinced that she had a Savior who gave his life for her, a Savior who gave her eternal life at an early age, an experience of eternal life that sustained her thereafter. Much later, she learned to age with grace and beauty, elegance and tenderness. With respect to the second question, my mother lived each day putting her only remaining hand within the Lord Jesus’ wound. She was sensitive to the needs of those around her. Her fractured and amputated body was like her Master’s, still worthy and useful and beautiful and complete, because His life kept flowing in her as a river of living water. With regard to the third question, I grew up watching my Mom growing in the Lord’s wisdom. Later I witnessed the painful process in which, with courage, she learned to survive the daily struggle of existence. And by watching her I learned so much. She hung onto the Holy Spirit, trusting to be pulled up, beyond depressive thoughts, far above the roughness and insensitivity of some unfortunate people around her. She understood the importance of giving herself the space to breath spiritually and emotionally.
Finally, regardless of the knowledge we acquire by academic degrees or by experience, leaders are not called by God to become the idols of our families or the idols of our congregations. Instead, we are called to shepherd all—not to nurture the ego, but to be wholeheartedly present at all times. The transition from being my mother’s daughter to becoming the pastoral support for my mother was a critical stage in my life. A legal and religious background was of much help to provide the quality of life she needed. By then, I had acquired the essential foundation for what was coming next.
On the other hand, the analytical framework for the legal and theological reflection to make responsible biblical decisions and to take action in the midst of current international circumstances is very difficult for me, and it is challenging when I am preaching and serving. It is harder as I see people turning inward into their individual concerns, disregarding other sides of the full picture. To non-Christians, I cannot—and I do not try to—prove that there is a power above and beyond human beings, one who is willing, able, and capable of intervening in this senseless struggle for dominance and destruction. I have the faith and conviction that the Holy Spirit works in the men and the women who make decisions concerning the life of the world, causing them to have increasingly fractured and undecided minds, hearts, and wills with regard to destruction. I hang onto the possibility that the Holy Spirit’s work will cause their wishes for war to a stall, while millions of conscious minds keep fighting the good struggle for peace and transformation.
During the past months, incredible hardships have shocked colleagues on my team. To come into close contact with the fragility of life unexpectedly can throw the strongest person off balance. But allowing the Almighty to guide our whole lives provides endless training for ministry. It gradually teaches us to be wholeheartedly present at all times, to offer someone a silent embrace, to provide someone with assistance, or quietly to keep someone company behind the scenes. May God keep us in Him, for the glory of Jesus.
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The Rev. Lynette Algarin-Johnson is an Attorney at the Puerto Rico Department of Justice, a pastor endorsed by the Puerto Rico Baptist Churches, and an active member of the Puerto Nueva Baptist Church, where she serves in a variety of capacities.
