Do we see ourselves the way God sees us? Do we believe the version of ourselves that God makes whole and claims as beloved? Imagine how life changing that would be.
I’ve just returned from the Canadian Lutheran Anglican Youth Gathering in Waterloo, Ontario where young Anglicans and Lutherans ages 13-18 made their way from synods and dioceses across Canada to be the church together around the theme of Ashes and Embers.
The goals of CLAY are to proclaim the grace and faithfulness of God revealed to us in Jesus Christ. To respond to God’s grace and faithfulness in ways that are intentional, practical, and meaningful. To celebrate that, by the grace of God, we are now children of God. To celebrate the Full Communion relationship of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canadaand the Anglican Church of Canada and encourage youth to live out that relationship in their home contexts.
If you’ve ever wondered where the young people are in the protestant mainline church, let me assure you they’re doing alright. At CLAY 2023 the participants thoughtfully engaged in justice issues around human trafficking, refugee migration and right relationship with Indigenous peoples. The depth of their compassion and understanding was truly inspiring. They were able to identify and name the oppressive and death-dealing systems of the world as the antithesis of how God views God’s world.
Youth understand we no longer have the luxury of believing in falsehoods within the church, the world and ourselves, that lead to the suffering of others and our planet. Now is the time to re-examine the narratives of what we believe by our faith in Christ to be true.
Co-keynote speaker Rev. Nathan Fong (Pastor, Grace Lutheran Church, Burnaby) and I told our backstories as BIPOC pastors of the ELCIC, raised second generation Canadian, in hopes of encouraging others to reflect on their own story. Everyone has a story that shapes the way we interpret the world, our faith, and our own identities.
Sharing personal stories from our youth, Pastor Nathan and I examined oppression and our complicated ancestral histories of migration and indentured labour, that shaped generations. We remembered together that God’s truth of who we are can be silenced by numerous untruths that diminish human worth.
We then asked the youth, “what is the lie that you believe about yourself that is getting in the way of knowing the way God sees you?” it’s a question for all. Lies can come from our family of origin without awareness of inter-generational trauma. They can come from the trauma of experiencing hardship, unseen on the fringes, or through the cracks of community. They can come from a hierarchy of values that we place on some human life while discarding others. Do we carry untruths that diminish our own flourishing?
The youth bravely and anonymously wrote down a lie they believe about themselves and placed their paper in a container that we later burned to ash and mixed with holy anointing oil. As each person came forward to receive the sign of the cross imposed on the back of their hand with this ashy concoction, they heard the words: “You are loved. You are seen. You belong.” This is God’s truth. Out of death, God gives the world new life.
Can we believe God’s truth about God’s abundant love for the planet? The church? Ourselves and our neighbour? Is this the key to dismantling systems of harm and healing generations? I pledge to listen closely to God through the young people of our church. Will you?
The Rev. Aneeta Devi Saroop (she/her) is the pastor at Spirit of Life Lutheran Church in Vancouver, BC. She is an Ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.
You can read more articles on our interfaith blog Spiritually Speaking at https://www.timescolonist.com/blogs/spiritually-speaking
* This article was published in the print edition of the Times Colonist on Saturday, August 26th 2023
