I Am Disgusted

I am disgusted...

Disgusted with the fact that over 30% of women - our wives, mothers, sisters, daughter, nieces, aunts... have been the victims of sexual harassment.

I am disgusted...

That 20% of men - our husbands, fathers, wives, brothers, nephews, uncles... are also victims of sexual harassment.

I am disgusted...

Disgusted with the fact that the first reaction to any accusation is to doubt the person making such a serious claim.

I am disgusted...

Disgusted that though every person should be heard and given a chance to tell their story, many will not for fear of repercussions that can come in the form or rejection, separation, or accused of ulterior motives.

I am disgusted...

Disgusted at how saying something is made more difficult by those who refuse to hear from those who have been hurt.

I am disgusted...

Disgusted by how politicians will use this (and other) issue to further divide us.

I am disgusted...

Disgusted by how we, as a society, have made a mockery of terms like "due process".

I am disgusted...

Disgusted by how we, as a society, will remain in our echo-chambers and refuse to listed to anyone who may see things differently than we do.

I am disgusted...

Disgusted by how real victims are further victimized by this ongoing, political power play - by elected officials and by a biased media - how each will say they stand with victims, but will then use them as leverage to score political points on both sides. 

I am disgusted...

Disgusted that our pride and our desire to be right is more important to us than things like love and understanding, for both the accuser and the accused.

I am disgusted...

Disgusted that we will voyeuristically watch exchanges, but quickly forget what we have seen and heard, as we move on to the next critical issue, never taking the time to understand what has happened or how it will impact the future.

I am disgusted...

Disgusted that we refuse to find ways to fairly address the serious issues that face us, as a people, settling for the recently won "battle" while collectively, we are losing the "war".


But I have hope.....

It is a hope that does not originate in the hearts of men and women...

It is a hope that is not based in politics, or government, or the rule of law...

It is a hope that is not contingent upon the current "wind of popular belief"...

It is the hope we have been given by God, particularly in Jesus Christ.

A hope for the Kingdom of God to become a reality here on earth (which, by God's own doing, with us or without us, it will).

A hope that is placed in the One who gave Himself for us -  to cleanse us from sin and redeem us from death.

A hope that is found in "loving God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength" which equally "loves neighbor as self."

A hope that is placed in action by the Holy Spirit of God, Who equips, moves, and empowers us to love as Christ has loved.

A hope that one day, "the lion will lie down with the lamb".

A hope that one day we will take God at His Word and truly humble ourselves before Him (2 Chronicles 7:14), He will restore, bless, and heal us.

A hope that is grounded in the disgusting death of the Son of God, which results in the salvation of the world.

Perhaps, by staring at the cross - a disgusting picture, to be sure - we will find our hope, our strength, and a renewed love for God and neighbor.

A love that listens.

A love that embraces.

A love that runs to, not away from - like the father in the Parable of the Prodigal.

A love that fights: for the innocent and the marginalized.

A love that fights: for justice, for both those who have been victimized and for those who have been wrongly accused.

A love that seeks justice over power.

A love that seeks to restore, repair, and redeem, rather than a pride that seeks its own way (2 Cor. 13)

Yes, in many ways I am disgusted.

But more than that - I am hopeful.

Because my hope is not placed in human beings (Ps. 20:7), or the structures we create, but in the God who never gives up on us (Deut. 31:6) - Who gave Himself for us (Eph. 5:2) - Who is working for the redemption of the entire world. (Rom. 8:9)

Hopeful - that is what I truly am and will strive to be.

Invitation to the Point of View (“POV”) event on September 22, 2018

    You are invited to experience what we believe is a somewhat different and uncommon event.  It’s called POV (or Point of View).

    The purpose of our POV event is to provide an environment where people of various opinions/convictions about an issue can safely share their opinions, developing empathy for those with whom we may deeply disagree, and listening to one another as the body of Christ.

    We believe that the POV experience is different because it's counter-cultural and an uncommon experience, since, in our polarized world, there are not many spaces left that don’t have dividing lines.

    The POV process has been developed by both Pastoral and Lay leadership in the Florida Conference and is based on materials derived from The Anatomy of Peace, a book centered on resolving the essential elements within ourselves that lead to conflict. (You can check the book out for yourself: http://ws.arbinger.com/anatomyofpeace/, and it is also available on Amazon.)

    Why we are focused on the POV process is in response to the issue of LGBTQIA inclusion, which will be determined at a special called General Conference of the United Methodist Church, in February of 2019.

    For a more complete explanation of why we are having this initial discussion, I refer you to my recent pastoral letter, which can be found on my blog, just below this post, entitled, The Road Before Us.


    I want to explain what our September 22nd, POV meeting will and will not be.

What POV is:

POV is - a one day experience that creates a safe space for engaging difficult conversations through the lens of empathy, context and mission.

POV is - an opportunity for you to bring your thoughts, questions, emotions, and heart without the fear of being judged or coerced.


What POV is not:

POV is not - an attempt to change your convictions - no matter what they may be.

POV is not - a place to try and convince others of your deeply held convictions, though we want everyone to share their perspective.

The POV experience is a place and time where we will listen, we will share, we will reflect, and we will engage with one another.

    Again, our POV experience will be held from 9 am to 3:30 pm on Saturday, September 22nd, at Hope UMC.

    It is important for you to sign up at the Connection Center, as we will need to prepare the room, provide refreshments, and reproduce materials for each participant.

    I look forward to our time together. Peace.


You Are Loved,

Kelly W. Smith
Senior Pastor, Hope UMC