From the Pulpit: Changing the World, One Pebble at a Time

"Change the world." Who among us has the guts to try? But, Jo Owens said, restoration and wholeness have to start somewhere.

In her last sermon as Pastor for Digital Ministry, the Rev. Jo Nygard Owens challenged the Cathedral to be change-agents for good. It’s not an easy task, she says, and it can often feel overwhelming. Most days, she said, she feels like a small pebble, kicked this way and that.

But pebbles can help fill broken places, and how we show up matters:

We can recognize what is needed to bring wholeness in another and in doing what we can to rebuild one stone at a time. The small actions matter, the smiles we share and the hugs we give. Anytime we truly see another, it is a step toward peace. The larger actions of serving together matter. Stepping up in our communities through local and national organizations that care for the least and the lost makes a difference. Our actions matter, but it also matters how we show up to do these things.

Jesus sent the 70 out as lambs among wolves. They are unguarded, vulnerable, and trusting. Frankly, showing up without the armor of cynicism and contempt these days may be harder than showing up in the first place.

A few months ago, Tim Shriver shared the Dignity Index at the Cathedral, and I was stunned by how naturally the language of contempt slips into everyday conversation and just how vital it is to treat everyone with dignity. Contempt makes a handy shield because we perceive it as armor to protect ourselves from the slings of arrows coming our way.

But there’s a cost, a cost to ourselves. The more we armor up, the more we begin to identify with the armor itself rather than the love and peace found at our core. It matters how we show up. If we present ourselves with authenticity, truly seeking to make a connection, then our work of restoration and peace has a chance of succeeding.