As I’ve been preparing for the sermon this Sunday, I’ve found myself thinking constantly about how deeply shaped we are by the contexts and situations of our births.
Each of us was born at a certain time, in a certain place, in certain circumstances. That is an immutable fact that stays with us for the rest of our lives. And it’s so deeply formative. These contexts provide immediate limitations on our potential. My mind, my heart, my personality, is inextricably linked to my birth. I think the way I do; I talk the way I do; I behave the way I do; because of the random chance of my birth.
And some are luckier than others. I don’t mean this to be judgmental, but being born in a wealthy household has less limitations than being born into homelessness. Nothing but luck and timing. And through that, we do what we can. I’m not saying that circumstances of birth set a person down a determined path, but it certainly creates the outlook for a life’s direction.
This is what we say when we say “he’s a product of a different era.” We are shaped by these contexts and they stay with us for our entire lives. But our initial selves can stay malleable if we so desire. We can chisel away those things we learned that hold us back. We can polish the things that create harmony. We are still the same person, formed of the same life, but we become more. People can grow past the limitations of their contexts.
These are the stories we like. In storytelling, those who refuse to push past their limitations are villains and antagonists. In stories, they are villains. But they came from somewhere. They were formed this way by something. Do we excuse these people because they are a product of their environment? No. But if we want to seek justice, we need to recognize what an impact their environment has had.
For better or for worse, we are living out a number of predetermined traits. This is wonderful. When these traits are shared, we call it a community. When these traits differ between communities, we call it diversity. When we cling to our worst traits despite all evidence, we call it prejudice.
I guess I wrote all of that to say: people are complicated.
I don’t want people to be complicated. I want them to be good or bad. But that’s not how it works. We are neither good nor bad. We are people.
Peace,
Rev. Jeff Fox-Kline
Twelve Corners Presbyterian Church is located at 1200 S. Winton Road in Rochester, NY the town of Brighton. We gather on Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m. for worship in the sanctuary and on YouTube, and all are welcome! If you have any questions or would like to visit our church, you're welcome to call our office at 585-244-8585 or send an email through our contact form. We look forward to seeing you!
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