Sermon Follow up - An Apology and An Addition

Yes, I do love alliteration (starting many words with the same letter), especially in titles.

I would like to begin with an apology regarding the sermon yesterday.  I promised to deal with all the hearts pictured on the ‘Hate Has No Home Here’ sign.  But I missed one.  I wish I could say it was because I was testing you to see if anyone would notice or speak up, but I can’t because I wasn’t.  So I will simply say that I am sorry.  I am sorry for missing the heart with the symbols of disability.  I am deeply sorry because this is the heart that symbolized people who are often ignored or forgotten.  Loving people who have a disability is about connecting with them and loving them for who they are.  It is about learning to engage and find out how we can best walk with them in a way that honours them.  I apologize for doing the opposite of that by leaving out this part of the message.

I would also like to make an addition.  There are probably plenty of additions that could be made to the ‘Hate Has No Home Here’ sign but one, in particular, came to my mind.  I have on my desk the Calvin Theological Seminary Magazine Forum which did an issue on women’s ordination in the CRC.  It reminded me that, in my role, there is still a large gap in experience for those serving as women compared to men.  This is also true in many other places.  I doubt I need to belabour the point.  I simply want to point out that the command to love leaves no room for any kind of hateful mistreatment based on gender.

Again, my hope is that you will find opportunity in the coming day to do something to overturn hurt or harm or hate in favour of living the life of love the Jesus calls you to.

Pastor Erick