Too Good Not to Share

When was the last time you heard a story that was just too good not to share?  

There are plenty of stories that are too incredulous, sorrowful, or angering not to share, but I have in mind the ones that are chock full of good.  

Maybe it was in a newspaper that you clipped for a friend, or a post too perfect to keep to yourself. My household often swaps stories about urban issues, wider church happenings, and household cats.  

Sometimes the must-share stories we come across are not quick snippets, but slow builds that bring a particular sense of satisfaction- perhaps whole books or trilogies that we implore others to dive into.  

This week the General Commission on Race and Religion (GCORR) held a conference for pastors serving in cross racial/cross cultural appointments in The United Methodist Church, and boy were there some stories shared!   

At my first conversation table sat Arnel, Janice, Thomas, Sione, Ken, and Kitione: two first gen Filipinos from Illinois, a second gen Mexican American from Texas, two first gen Tongans from California and Missouri, and a second gen Korean American from California. 

I swapped Philippines stories with Arnel and Janice, trying to pinpoint exactly where or how their histories might overlap with my own family’s. Thomas and I found out that despite having never heard of the other, we lived in the same Houston neighborhood at different times. Ken sat next to Sione, having run into each other in our plenary room after not seeing one another since graduating seminary together in the 90s.  

Stories of connection, culture, and ministry flowed freely (even when the facilitators tried to get our attention back to the center). These were stories well worth sharing.  

From the first afternoon of the conference there was a palpable generosity of spirit amongst the gathering. Hamba nathi mkhululi wethu, we sang. Walk together, the journey is long. 

Not all our stories were uplifting, though.  

Remember, this was a conference for clergy serving in cross racial/cross cultural (CRCC) appointments; clergy who are called to cross boundaries, and not because it is easy! 99% of the CRCC appointed clergy in the room were clergy of color serving in dominant culture ministries (though the concept of CRCC continues to evolve and expand past just race, ethnicity, and language).  

Between the real (but not inherently problematic) cultural communication differences and the real (and definitely problematic) racism and bias these clergy experience, painful stories were also found in plenty. The same generosity of spirit that led to the sharing of the stories also created a shared container of compassion where each person’s burden was lightened as others stepped in to hold the burden with them.  

Hamba nathi mkhululi wethu. Walk together, the journey is long. 

I don’t have permission to re-share the stories that were shared in that space. There was even a conference app with internal social media features to help us remember to share stories and pictures within the conference and not on any public social media platforms outside of it.  

I can share about stories that I shared with others. Besides ample stories about past ministry experience and my family of origin, I shared a whole lot about our faith community here at First Church.  

As we each described our ministries, I shared about a congregation whose generosity of spirit is constantly mentioned by visitors, including visiting clergy who make a point of giving props to the unmistakable “welcome in!” they experience on Sundays. I shared about a faith community stepping up into the opportunity of the moment, a congregation that not only recognizes the risk of moving forward but also the risk of not moving forward. I shared about a people who care not only about one another but also about the impact that their collective action can have upon the wider community around them. I shared about a church who walks together, because the journey to build a more just world is long.  

I shared all about First Church, because ours is a story worth sharing.  

Throughout the year and especially in this stewardship season, we’re thinking about what it means to share our story; to recognize that what we have is something that could make a difference in the lives of others, and to share that boldly.  

I’ve been collecting those sacred stories: stories of community, compassion, and impact that are a bright light in a world where it is so common to find isolation, indifference, and futility.  

For us a people of faith, our generosity and our stewardship of what God has entrusted to us goes past our material resources. We also share our relationships, the hope that we have, and the love that we have found. All of this is a gift; all of this can be shared.  

This October, each household in our community is discerning what is a meaningful financial commitment for them to make to the next chapter of our shared story. I also want us to continue to discern together what is our commitment to how we want to share our story with the wider community around us.  

This starts with noticing all the special nuggets of our story, recognizing what each of us can share with one another, and committing to sharing our collective story with others.  

But first steps first! I’d love to hear some of the special nuggets of our community that you have noticed, whether they be improbable relationships, community impact, or new opportunities for compassion. Whether we always realize it or not, these are stories that are too good not to share.  

Hamba nathi,  
Pastor Karyn