Covenant – Bishop Steven Charleston

As I read the final chapter of Bishop Charleston’s book, this particular passage spoke to my heart.

…the earth is not inanimate. It is alive. If we are spiritually awake, we recognize this fact and we understand that we are all living in a covenant, an agreement, with this living world. Other covenant-based religions may describe community as a willingness to obey the letter of the law in that agreement, but for Native American prophets, community requires each person to embrace the vision of the earth as a living being. Covenant is not law. It is love. — We Survived the End of the World: Lessons from Native America on Apocalypse and Hope (p. 182)

The current reality in this country is one of fear-mongering, hate-mongering, and the sowing of an “us versus them” mentality. I saw that reality last night as we watched the movie It’s A Wonderful Life. The movie highlights corporate and political greed versus the citizens simply trying to get by and those who help them to achieve the life-goal of owning a home. It wasn’t the powerful Mr. Potter who changed people’s lives for the better; it was George Bailey and the Bailey Brothers’ wonderful old Building and Loan.

In addition to George Bailey’s story, Bishop Charleston has been helpful to me in my own journey as well, especially in this human-made apocalypse that we are living in. An apocalypse that has been fuelled, in part, by the institutional church, specifically the christian nationalist movement (lower case is intentional), a disease which has infected large and small mainline denominational and non-denominational churches.

There are days when I feel the weight of the world descending upon my heart and find my depression kicking in. When those dark clouds (which it seem are present daily) obscure the light that is out there, it is the hope offered in things like the movie and book gently help blow the clouds away.

This weary Padre finds comfort and challenge in these words from Bishop Charleston’s book. As we approach the Advent season and prepare our hearts for Christmas, may these words bring us hope as we remember that Covenant isn’t law, it is love. May that love both encourage you and sustain you as we seek to make a difference in this world.