So, I have become an eBay seller.  I come from a family that saved things, and as an only child, all those saved things ended up with me. They sat in boxes in the basement, full of memories and nostalgia.  When we moved to a new home last fall, it became painfully clear that they had become burdensome and I promised to get them out of the house.  I call it “finding them new homes.”

It turned out to be an odd assortment.  Continue reading →

I used to believe that the little molding at the bottom (and sometimes the top) of walls was just a decorative accent. Then we remodeled a home we were living in and I learned the harsh truth: molding covers the places where the walls and the floors don’t meet quite perfectly.
And of course, the walls and the floors hardly ever meet perfectly. Tiny mis-measurement in one corner is magnified by the time you get to the other corner. Or little shifts in the foundation put everything slightly askew. Or a worker is not quite as careful in installing plumbing or wiring or lighting as might be wished, and things are knocked a bit out of line.
It would be a shame if all those little oddities were obvious – so we cover them up with molding and half round and sometimes caulk and paint.
I do the same thing when I am making stoles for ministers. It is hard to get the hems exactly even and straight if they are handsewn – so I don’t sew them by hand. I cover the bottom edges with fringe, which has the bonus of adding a little weight so the stoles hang gracefully when they are worn.
Ceremonies are another kind of finish carpentry. Going to school can be a messy business with setbacks and disappointments along the way. Graduation covers them up with robes, speeches, and pageantry. Courtships (to use an old fashioned word) have their ups and downs, but weddings more or less disguise all of the complexities of love with music, flowers, and banquets. Even retirement can be a mixed blessing, gracefully hidden by cake, balloons, and good-bye gifts.
Every day etiquette is another example – we cover up the rough edges of our relationships and interactions with “please” and “thank you.”
Still, even wide molding cannot cover up poor workmanship or shoddy materials, and no ceremony or etiquette can repair deep wounds or estrangement. Finish carpentry only works because it finishes a process that began solidly with the basics. It makes good work look even better.

Prayer: Gracious God, help us to build healthy relationships and strong connections, so that only a little finish carpentry is needed. Amen.

It was the most chilling benediction I had ever heard:  “Do not go in peace.  Herod is still on the throne and the children are not safe.”  It was spoken at a seminary chapel service; the text for the day had been the “slaughter of the innocents,” – Herod’s order to kill all of the baby boys who might be the announced “King of the Jews.”

These disturbing words came back to me as I saw pictures of children whose parents had tried to send them to the United States.  And photos of injured children in Gaza and Israel.  And words in church about Minneapolis kids who won’t get breakfast or lunch after summer school is over.  “Do not go in peace.  Herod is still on the throne and the children are not safe.”

I read recently read about the Maternity Box that is given to pregnant women in Finland.  It contains everything a new baby will need:  bedding, clothes, diapers, toys, even a book.  The box itself can serve as a bassinette.  To receive the box, the only thing the woman needs to do is to see a health care provider early in her pregnancy.  The box is a public investment in infant health (prenatal care) and well-being (clothing and supplies).  Herod de-throned.

I love the idea of every child being welcomed – not because the parents are prosperous (and can afford it), and not because the parents are needy (and can’t afford it).  Imagine what it would be like if every baby got a box like that. Imagine what it would be like if every refugee child received a box of clothes and vitamins and books.

There is no single “Herod,” of course.  Herod’s threat in our midst comes from institutions and ideologies that give lip-service to children’s welfare, then fail to embody that concern in programs or practices.  I get pretty discouraged about how much time and energy it will take to change all of that – especially during those weeks when there are also wars and plane crashes and various other calamities of human life.

That preacher’s words about Herod were not really a benediction – a benediction is, after all, a “good word.”  They were, however, prophetic words – words that spoke a truth we would rather not see.  May they never stop disturbing us, and may we never stop trying to keep the children safe.