The results are in, and while I may not be able to say, “I’m from
everywhere”, my DNA shows that I am from many more places than I ever imagined.
Where we Fergusons thought our roots were firmly and deeply planted in Scotland
and England, my roots are not only in those countries, but also in Germany,
France, Spain, Italy, Greece, even Eastern European countries. I suspect if the
trace went even further back in time, I would find I have ties to the Middle
East and Africa.
Most of us are from “somewhere else”. My ancestors came here in the 18th
century – but for what reasons I don’t know: Opportunity? To escape
persecution? Perhaps even to escape prosecution. Were they welcomed or were
they shunned, encouraged to return to where they’d come from?
When the children of Israel were about to enter the Promised Land
following their 40-year sojourn through the wilderness, God reminded them that
even as they lived on the land, they would not be the only ones there – that
there would be travelers, strangers, and aliens among them. Some would simply
pass through the land, while others might decide to settle among the people.
In all cases, God, speaking through Moses, taught the Israelites the
importance of welcoming the stranger and loving one’s neighbor: “When an alien resides with you in your land,
you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you
as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were
aliens in the land of Egypt.” (Leviticus
19:33) As God reminded his children: “you know the heart of an alien for you were aliens in
the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 23:9) In God’s world, there is no place for hateful,
divisive talk, much less violence against another person because the person
differs from us.
Jesus reinforced God’s lessons with his simple prescription we call the
Golden Rule: “In everything do to others
as you would have them do to you.” (Matthew 7:12) In one of many apocryphal
books, this advice is put in such simple terms: “Judge your neighbor’s feelings by your own, and in every matter be
thoughtful.” (Sirach 31:15)
That’s good advice for us as we begin a new school year and start a new
program year at our church. We are a diverse group sharing a common faith, all
of us a community and communion of saints.
If you are interested in learning more about your roots, go to the www.ancestry.com website. You can order a
DNA kit directly from www.dna.ancestry.com.
You might be surprised by what you learn!
Grace & peace,
Pastor Skip
