A Saddish Kind of Day

I came to Church for the midweek service and found that the rector’s office door had been broken down at some point last night, and his laptop stolen. He lost some files, and sermons, which is a huge pain. He’s being fairly positive, (“hey, maybe now I can get a mac!”), but I am saddened by the fact that this event will change the conversation around this place.

Time and energy will be diverted into figuring out new security protocols, and rules for building users. Time that could be better spent getting on with things around here.

I don’t think we should be entitled to any particular privilege because we are a Church. I know that theft happens, and happens to lots of people in lots of places. I know this because I’ve also had things taken from my home, by someone that I had invited in. It sucked. Partly because we lost some stuff. Mostly, because it had to change how we interacted with the world. That theft changed who we were as a family, and what we felt prepared to do and be.  And I liked who we were, then, before those experiences changed us.

So I’m sad that this event will demand some sort of response from the Parish. (Other than the stronger locks that went on the office doors this afternoon). It will have to. Because there were thefts a while ago, when a door was left unlocked, that didn’t get much response. And now this.

How do we identify as a welcoming and open place, when we fear that some of who we welcome will wish and do us harm?
How do we model forgiveness, without creating the impression that stealing from us doesn’t matter?
How do we protect ourselves, while still welcoming the community to share our building resources?
How do we turn the other cheek, without setting ourselves up as easy targets?
How do we respond to this with more love than anger, more hope than fear?

I (despite the anger expressed in an earlier post), really love this community. I love the many and divers ways we try to live up to this impossible baptismal promise to “persevere in resisting evil… to proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ… to seek and serve Christ in all persons… to strive for justice and peace among all eople, and respect the dignity of every human being… ” Sometimes we fail. I love that we try.

Someone wished us harm- or someone thought so little of us that they figured the harm they did wouldn’t matter.
And because of that, we will change.

We’ve found ourselves on the raw end of someone else’s free will, and random dumb luck. 
And I have no prayer except, “God, that sucks”.