One of my favorite quotes is from author Tom Peters: “Celebrate what you would like to see more of.” It is a simple quote but reveals a profound approach to life.

These days, the number of difficult issues that need to be addressed can be immobilizing. There is so much that we need to change in this world. So much that is frustrating and unjust. Many people ask: Where do we start? How do we go about
this?

While our instinct is to battle against injustice, the motivation most people use to do so leaves them exhausted. This is understandable because they are basing their actions on opposition rather than celebration.

This is counterintuitive, I know. Celebration is something you do when something has been overcome. It is the end product, so to say, and is seen as frivolous, really. The serious work of bettering the world happens when bad things are fought against and stopped.

I think that’s using the wrong math. It isn’t about stopping bad things, it is about multiplying good things. In my view, this is the core of Christ’s message. It is also something that brought confusion to those around him. “Why isn’t he talking about overthrowing the Romans? Instead he keeps going on about loving friend and foe alike. He heals people, which is great, but shouldn’t we be organizing a revolt?”

For Jesus, the more you multiply the good, the less power the bad will have. Injustice can’t be suppressed as much as it can be overwhelmed by its opposite. The bottom line is that when you fight against something you will eventually become depleted. When you fight for something you will always be energized.

Change is needed. How we get there is the question. If your orientation is toward opposing the negative, it is tough to be in the battle for the long haul. If, however, your orientation is toward increasing the positive, you will find the journey—no matter how long—a source of fulfillment.

So “celebrate what you would like to see more of.”
See you in church,
–Rev. Dominic