Last Sunday, I celebrated my birthday. In the last few years, I have tried to pause to reflect about the joys and challenges I experienced as I ended another year of life, and the opportunities ahead of me as I start a new one. One word that defines the last year of my life is embrace. In March of last year, my uncle Hector died, after a 17 yearlong battle with cancer. He was a Methodist pastor, and he was the one introducing me to the Methodist Church when I was seven years old. He also was the one encouraging me to seriously consider becoming a pastor.
After him, two relatives in Mexico died because of COVID as well as some friends and colleagues, some of them were my age. Even more, an estimated number of 4.1 million people have died because of COVID so far. That is why, I have thought more about death last year than any other moment in my life. And, I have realized that I can think about death, I can try to prepare as much as possible for death, but I cannot let the thought of death to prevent me from living my life fully.
Earlier this month, my friend Samuel Oliver Bruno died after being deported and separated from his family in 2018. I met him during my first pastorate, he helped me grow as a pastor, and among the many lessons I learned from him was to never give up on our faith in God and to embrace life even during the worst circumstances. So yes, last year I have tried to embrace life even during the pandemic, political and racial turmoil, and during the loss of loved ones.
In previous messages, I have shared about one of my spiritual practices, The Examen, which has become a very important part of my life and ministry. Another practice that I embraced in the last year, which has become another attempt to embrace life, is to cook. Cooking for family and friends has become a means of grace. I am not the best cook, but I do my best, and I do it with love.
Cooking for people, but more significantly, sharing with people around the table has become an opportunity to share life, to get to know my family and friends better, and to get to know new people. I think that is why Jesus made it a point to share meals with his disciples and others, even sharing meals with sinners. I am convinced that every table is a sacred space that we often underutilize. It does not have to be fancy or perfect, we just need to make our table available to others, and God will do the rest. What are some ways in which you can embrace life? Is there a new spiritual practice that God might be calling you to include in your life? Is there a new person you can invite to share a meal with you? What are some other ways in which you can open yourself to others?
Lord, bless the bread you have given
And give bread to all who are hungry
Give hunger for justice to those with bread
Lord, bless the bread you have given
Bendice Señor nuestro pan
Y da pan a los que tienen hambre
Y hambre de justicia a los que tienen pan
Bendice Señor nuestro pan
By: Osvaldo Catena.
If you would like to view past editions of Time with Ismael, follow this link: https://heritagedistrictnc.org/category/from-the-ds/