September 2, 2014
My church should be a place where people who are thinking of commiting suicide, can relate, come to for understanding. My church was founded on the issue of emptiness and despair, and feelings of hopelessness. Jesus on the cross said, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me.” Peter, “The Rock,” denied Jesus and ran away. I am sure he contemplated suicide, too. He tried going back to his old life, fishing. He caught nothing. He could not escape his feelings. His soul felt like his fishing net. Empty. Then he found that he was loved by the very one he denied. He was loved with all his troubles, unconditionally. He surrendered. A “Rock” needs to know how vulnerable it is to wind, water, erosion. My church is founded upon troubled souls. “Come to me all you who are burdened,” says Jesus. We forgot that in some ways. We became the “Perfect Society,” who would not give a church funeral to someone who had committed suicide. We do these funerals now, and we say we are a “Pilgrim People.” I think God is more embracing in love, and not judgement, of those who kill themselves. I think God wanted religion to speak for God’s love, before someone killed themselves. Anyway, I think Judas and Peter are together again, and Robin Williams is with them.