Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live!” 

– Ezekiel 37:9

Dearly Beloved,

As November arrives, there’s a deep sense that we Americans (and others around the world) are holding our collective breath as we await results from the most contentious election season in our lifetimes.  With so much at stake, there is plenty to keep us up at night contemplating alternative futures.  My bedtime reading over the last month has been a book entitled: BREATH – The New Science of a Lost Art, by James Nestor.[1]  It’s a fascinating read that relates the history of breathing as told by the skulls of our evolutionary forebearers, explores breathing traditions and techniques from cultures ancient and contemporary, unravels why we modern day human beings are plagued with so many breathing-related illnesses, and offers concrete suggestions for dealing with—among other things—snoring and sleep apnea.  Here’s one teaser on why nose breathing is better than mouth breathing:  “The nose filters, heats and treats raw air. Most of us know that. But so many of us don’t realize — at least I didn’t realize — how [inhaling through the nose] can trigger different hormones to flood into our bodies, how it can lower our blood pressure … how it monitors heart rate … even helps store memories. So it’s this incredible organ that … orchestrates innumerable functions in our body to keep us balanced.” [2]

Since I began reading Nestor’s book at bedtime, I’ve dedicated myself to being more conscious about my breath, and becoming a concerted nose breather. (Survey my family and you’ll find them weary of my daily enjoinder: “Remember to breathe through your nose!”) Thus far, I can say without a doubt that this new habit has me reaping benefits!

Over the past two months Nestor’s insights into breathing have become more profound as I’ve contemplated the impact COVID-19 has on the lungs of its victims and the deadly refrain uttered by victims of police brutality—“I can’t breathe!”  My reflections took on an even more personal dimension when I learned in September that my brother Peter, after years of declining lung capacity, was taking steps to become eligible for a lung transplant.  On the heels of having his eligibility confirmed mid-October, he received word that a compatible set of donor lungs was available.  The transplant surgery took place on Reformation Sunday while we were in the midst of Live Stream worship. One of the many challenges Peter faces as he recovers is learning to breath more deeply.  Coughing hard is a necessary and critical regimen which will help him do that.  (Your prayers that Peter cough harder and inhale deeper each day are solicited and appreciated!)

In the Valley of Dry Bones story from the book of Ezekiel, the bones of God’s people cry out in despair, “Our hope is lost; we are cut off completely!”  With COVID-19 cases once again surging; with mounting evidence that the results of the November 3^rd election will be contested; with the cumulative cannibalizing effects of administration policies upon the health of air, land, and sea[3] and the institutions essential to our democracy, it would be easy for us to arrive at a place of despair—OUR HOPE IS LOST!  OUR BREATH IS GONE!   But for we who place our trust in THE ONE whose animating breath brings even dry, desiccated bones back to life, giving up is not an option!  No matter what may transpire on November 3^rd, we are not alone!  We are part of a community, a great procession of God’s people through time, who have held up—and been held by—the stories and testimonies of God’s faithful accompaniment in their lives, come what may.

Last week, as I prepared for All Saints Sunday worship, I found a painting by John August Swanson that spoke of the vast community of saints, past and present, who walk beside us on this pilgrimage of life.  Immediately, I wanted to use his painting for the cover of our All Saints worship guide. The painting is entitled THE PROCESSION.  When I called the phone number given on the artist’s website to inquire about permission to use the art in our publications, who should answer but Mr. Swanson himself.  What followed was a delightful conversation in which we spoke of his work, discovered personal connections, and talked about art’s role in providing new ways of seeing and experiencing the world.  Of his work, THE PROCESSION, Mr. Swanson says:  “The places that inspired this image are the beautiful cathedrals I have seen in Europe and Mexico… sacred places used for procession.  There are sacred places throughout the world for all beliefs, places that have special meaning in the lives of people who journey to get there.  We, in our communities of faith, are a procession of stories, stories both unique and shared, stories connected to those who have gone before us and those who will come after us.”  Theologian Alejandro Garcia-Rivera says that when we imagine ourselves being part of this great PROCESSION, we begin to realize that “our story is part of a larger story, a Big Story of Heaven coming to Earth and bringing forth new life.” ⁴

In the times such as these, when we find ourselves holding our collective breath, God’s Spirit becomes present among us. This SPIRIT—literally God’s BREATH—awakens us to the PROCESSION God is leading and calls us to seize upon the invitation to join it once more.  For to be part of this PROCESSION is to be numbered among that great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language,  which is making their Way to where “all things are being made new.”

We cannot choose the times and circumstances in which we live, nor determine on our own the outcomes of elections.  But we can choose to gird ourselves with hope and to walk the WAY Christ showed us, even when the odds are against it.  Historian Howard Zinn, author of The People’s History of the United States, puts it this way: “What we choose to emphasize in [our] complex history will determine our lives.  If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something.  If we remember those times and places…where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act…  And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future.  The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.” 

We’re all in the procession together—so let us BREATHE DEEPLY, ACT BOLDLY, LOVE FULLY!

Pastor Erik

[1] You can find Terry Gross’ Fresh Air interview with Nestor HERE.

[2] Nestor has a whole section linking nose breathing to a reduction in the need for orthodontic intervention.

[3] The latest casualty: the Tongass National Forest, America’s last “climate sanctuary” and the “lungs of North America.” https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/trump-to-strip-protections-from-tongass-national-forest-among-worlds-biggest-intact-temperate-rainforests/

[4] You can find the painting and his commentary on it, with quotations used here @: http://www.johnaugustswanson.com/default.cfm/PID%3d1.2-22.html