Dear friends,
I was away for two Sundays because I was invited by Oxford University to attend the GIC+ (Global Interfaith Commission on LGBT+ Lives) summer program where they bring together senior religious leaders from around the world to learn from leading academics, and also from one another’s stories and experiences. This program was funded by the UK Foreign Office, and I’m so grateful for this wonderful opportunity and experience.
It was surreal to be in Oxford and I had the opportunity to dialogue with faith leaders from all over the world: Christian (Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox), Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu leaders from Brazil, Finland, Ghana, India, Israel, Kenya, NZ, UK, and US. Interestingly, I was the only one from East Asia but I’m grateful for the chance to share glimpses of what’s happening on our side of the world.
Since I was already in the UK, I also took the opportunity to visit some of our FCC members and friends in Dublin, Birmingham and London after my summer program ended. Even though our time together was brief, we had many meaningful and life-giving conversations, and my heart was full from the generous love and care they showered on me.
Last Sunday we had the privilege of hearing our guest preacher, Rev. Alba Onofrio, share about Sarah, Abraham, and Hagar, and she invited us to notice whose voices are left out of the story. This Sunday, I will be following up with Hagar’s story, and how this enslaved Egyptian woman is the only person in the entire Hebrew Bible who gives God a name: El Roi. El Roi in Hebrew means “the God who sees me.”
Come join us this Sunday as we unpack Hagar’s story, and what it means for us today that God still sees us.
Shalom,
Pauline