Practicing Connection

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy writes about an epidemic of loneliness in our nation. He describes “collective loneliness” as the yearning for a network or community of people who share your sense of purpose and values. For almost 65 years the United Methodist Church has satisfied my hunger for such a network. Whether in a local community of faith or through relationships across my home state and beyond, the connection of the UMC has reinforced and deepened values I first received from my parents—values of equity, inclusion, and unity amid diversity.

This week and next, the long-delayed General Conference of the United Methodist church has convened. If you long, as I do, for communities of love and belonging which celebrate values of inclusion, equity, and unity amid diversity, I invite you to join me in praying daily for this gathering of faithful servants. My prayer is for the Holy Spirit to give wisdom and courage to each elected representative and to move as a gentle yet surprising and mighty force among those gathered.

Bishop Kenneth Carder, under whose guidance I served on the Mississippi Conference cabinet, offered this blessing yesterday: “May the events of these days move us closer to God's dream of the Beloved Community where margins shift from fear and exclusion toward love and belonging for ALL.”

I commend to you Bishop Carder’s recent book (en route to me) Shifting Margins: From Fear and Exclusion to Love and Belonging. His wisdom as a spiritual leader is deep and profound.

Walking Together,
Vicki