All That God Talk

“Once you let Jesus in your kitchen, he just keeps on making peanut butter and banana sandwiches and he never leaves. ” Cathleen Falsani from Sin Boldly (24)

A lot of “God-talk” makes me cringe. That might seem strange coming from someone who spent almost four decades in ministry. While I am more comfortable now that I was all those decades ago, my shyness and sometimes downright distaste for chattering about Jesus like he is my best friend has never completely left me. I particularly abhor public pronunciations on social media and the news channels. I know I might sound judgmental and self-righteous but I give myself and everyone else who expresses similar sentiments a pass. Having given this topic a fair amount of thought, I paradoxically hold no resentment to those who can and do talk about Jesus like he is in the kitchen making sandwiches. That is, if actions bear authentic witness.

So many people today are perplexed by the incessant, ubiquitous talk in the news that blends religion and politics. Everyone seems to have a LOT to say about God these days, as if they have a direct iPhone connection, producing elation in some, repugnance in others, and incredulity in most. Increasingly, folks seek out spiritual direction and want to talk to me about their deep seeded feelings on all sides of the spectrum. I welcome these conversations. Religious nationalism is on the rise, no doubt about it, confusing even the most faithful among us. Finding the balance and discerning a pathway through the quagmire of social and mass media is best done with a trusted friend and guide. I am happy to provide a sacred space for this dialogue because truth be told, I need discernment too and find wisdom in between the crooked lines.

I encourage others to be gentle with themselves and others when conflicts arise over basic religious values and whether or not the Ten Commandments should be placed in public schools. Everyone struggles, especially when friends do not agree. So why argue about bibles, monuments, and how Christian/Catholic someone appears? Why condemn the motivations of believers right and left? The love we have for each other must always come first. Why not start with empathetic understanding and actions? How can we teach the compassion, mercy, and forgiveness of Jesus if we are not empathetic, compassionate, merciful and forgiving?

What it all comes down to is something my mother used to harp on when I was a kid. “Talk is cheap. Show me.” Dad put it more bluntly: “Put your money where you mouth is.” In other words, as most of us know, it’s far easier to talk about Jesus than to practice what he preached. Amen to that. It’s far easier to tell other people what I THINK Jesus wants them to believe, say, and do, than to spend time discerning what his words might mean for MY life right now, today, in July of 2024.

Whether or not we bring God-talk into the conversation (and let’s not forget how we also abuse sacred names with our foul language), actions do speak louder than words. Making a peanut butter and banana sandwich in your kitchen for someone hungering for more than physical nourishment might better smooth the rough patches than taking a political stand. A compassionate look, a comforting hug, a gentle hand, all speak in tacit, nonverbal ways about Jesus’ teachings far more than rants on social media. Building interpersonal trust through listening without judgment may allow the Christ in us to arise, like incense, perfuming the air with invisible Presence. Through authentic encounters, interpersonal relationships may seed and blossom again. No words necessary.