"I've Been Meaning to Ask: Where are You From"

 The First United Presbyterian Church of Loveland

“I’ve Been Meaning to Ask: Where are You From?”

Rev. Amy Morgan

June 13, 2021

Genesis 2:4b-9, 15

In the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,

 5 when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up-- for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground;

 6 but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground--

 7 then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.

 8 And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

 9 Out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.

It’s so great to see folks returning to community on-site and continuing to be a part of our community online. 

As health risks around the virus have decreased and folks have started socializing more, I keep hearing that we don’t remember how to do this. There’s awkwardness – we blather on and on or don’t know what to say. There’s uncertainty – where does our relationship stand after so much time apart? There’s fear – with so much judgement and condemnation and division, we worry about saying something that will hurt someone or cause us to be rejected. 

In response to all of this, the creative folks at the worship resource company A Sanctified Art developed a sermon series entitled I’ve Been Meaning to Ask. Over the next several months, we’ll explore questions around how we can listen to each other, how we can find connection through and despite our differences and distances, and how we can create space for compassionate dialogue and seeking the holy in one another, both in this space of worship and in our wider community. The creators of this series note that “all courageous conversations begin with simple questions and the curiosity to truly listen. The main objective of this series is to cultivate courageous conversations, and that’s precisely what we will begin to do today.

But in order to build the connection and trust necessary to cultivate these conversations, our series creators note, “we need to listen to each other’s stories and experiences to learn who and what has shaped us. We also need to feel seen and known for who we are. In this first week, we hope to affirm the particularity of our identities while also acknowledging our common ground. Formed from the dust and God’s very breath in the garden of Eden, we have a common home, a shared birthplace, and a collective calling: to sustain and care for all of creation.”

So we begin with that story of the creation of humankind from the dust of the earth. This origin story was most likely developed by the Israelite people during their exile in Babylon in the 6^th century BCE, at a time when this people had been stripped of their identity and culture, their place in the world and their past and future. Babylonian theology and power overwhelmingly communicated that the Israelites were worthless, meaningless creatures in a system far beyond their control. 

The creation narrative in Genesis 2 offers an alternative to the Babylonian story of dominance. It affirms the holiness of every human being, not just those with power, wealth, and status. It establishes the interdependence of the whole creation and humanity’s role in caring for it, in contrast to the idea of dominance and subjugation. It disrupts the assumptions of the surrounding culture and provides a healing and redemptive story that answers the question, “Where are you from?” 

In the Hebrew scriptures, the Israelites are instructed to recite their origin story, beginning with “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor.” The story continues through the growth of a great nation from Abraham, to their slavery in Egypt, their liberation from Egypt, and finally to the establishment of their place in the world, in a “land flowing with milk and honey.” But what happens when this well-rehearsed narrative is disrupted by defeat and exile? What happens when their identity is reduced to rubble and dust?

What happens is that those people remember they are dust. They remember that their worth and identity are not defined by a land or a name. They remember that they, along with their captors, their enemies and their friends, are all created from the dust of the earth. They are not what the culture around them says that they are. They carry the very breath of God within them, and they are precious, beloved, and essential to the creation. 

As they remembered these things, the exiled Israelites would have understood their origin story in contrast to the Babylonian creation narratives. There are some notable similarities between the stories: references to water and the importance of the number 7; the resting of deities after the creation; and the use of dirt in the creation of humanity.  

But there are also some key differences between these stories. In the Babylonian creation story, humanity is created in service to the gods. In the Israelite story, humanity is created in service to the creation. The Babylonian story depicts humans as created from the blood of a slain god, imbuing them with an identity of defeat. The Israelite story affirms that humans are filled with the breath of the living God, imbuing them with an identity of sacredness. 

What we see in the Genesis story of the creation of humankind, in the context of Israel’s Babylonian captivity, is the power of our origin narratives. If the Israelites had accepted their place in the Babylonian narrative, they would have been defeated, useless, helpless slaves. Their God would have been impotent against the powerful Babylonian gods. They would have been hopeless victims with no past and no future. 

Instead, they tell their own story. And that story gives them the resiliency, courage, and hope to endure captivity and brutality, to reject the assumptions of the Babylonian culture and to retain their identity, culture, and faith. 

This is why it is important to know where we come from and to be able to tell that story to others. We all make assumptions about people based on where they come from. People from the South have a drawl. People from Canada are nice. People from the Midwest know how to make a casserole.  

But besides often being untrue, these assumptions can be damaging. When we moved from California to Texas when I was 4 years old, my great-grandmother told me that children in Texas rode horses to school and that the state was filled with cayotes that eat children. I’m not sure if this is the reason, but I never fully identified as a Texan and worked hard to avoid developing that characteristic Texas drawl. My friend, Serene, when wearing her hijab in her hometown of Bloomfield Hills, MI, would often be asked where she was from, because people assumed she was not an American, much less a Midwesterner. One of our church custodians in Michigan, an African-American man, was stopped by local police several times because he didn’t look like he was from our white, affluent neighborhood. 

Our stories of where we are from shape us. They tell us who we belong to and what we can and should do with our lives. Too often, we let the world around us, other people, powers and politics and propaganda, tell our story. We let the Babylonian narrative have the final say. And that leaves us feeling hopeless and helpless. 

But we have a better story. One gifted to us by the ancient people of God. One that brought them hope and healing. That is our story, too. Of being created by God, filled with sacred breath and sacred purpose. 

Each of our stories begins there, but it continues through our individual histories. Listening to each other’s stories, to how we understand our origins, is a healing and holy experience. And so we’re going to have an opportunity to do that today. 

First, we’re going to establish some ground rules, or norms, for our conversations today and throughout this series. 

Speak from the “I” – again, we’re trying not to make assumptions about other people and their experiences. Talk about what you know and use “I” language to express your truth. 

Listen from the heart – too often we are thinking about our response or forming judgements in our heads instead of being fully engaged and compassionate listeners.

Step up and step back – It may take some practice for us to remember that conversation involves give and take, and you always have the option to “pass” or not share. 

Say more and circle back – sometimes it takes a while to figure out what we’re really trying to say. Help each other get there by encouraging each other to keep going when needed. We won’t have a ton of time for these conversations, but they may bring up something tender. If you have to leave off from a vulnerable space, feel free to follow up with each other after church or later on. 

Hold space – silence can be awkward, but it can also be sacred. Let it be. 

Respect boundaries – these are confidential conversations unless explicit permission is given to share with others. It’s a good idea to specify who you want to share with. Sometimes we all “overshare” and feel icky about it after, so be mindful of what you feel comfortable sharing in this setting. 

And finally – stay curious! Ask good follow up questions and learn all you can about each other in the time we’ve got. Again, you can follow up later to learn more if you want. These are just conversation starters!

And so…without further ado – let’s get asking. 

Today we’ve got just two conversation questions, and they’re pretty easy ones. We’ll put the question up on the screen, and I’d like you to find one or two other people to converse with. Ideally, these would be people you don’t know really well, but it’s fine if you do. We can always learn more about each other, even if we’ve known each other a long time. 

If you’re with us online, we’re going to put the questions in the chat on YouTube, even though you’ll also see them on the screen, and I encourage you to respond in the chat. Remember that this is a public YouTube channel, so be mindful of that in your responses. We’ll have someone interacting with our online friends and asking follow-up questions in that conversation. 

So, your first question today is: Where were you born? How has that geographical location influenced who you are today? Go ahead and find some conversation partners, and we’ll take a few minutes to talk. 

Our second question today is: How many places have you lived or visited? What places have you loved? What place feels most like home?