Scripture: Mark 6:1-6
He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. Then Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house." And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.
Reflection Questions:
Where are you from? What role does your hometown and upbringing continue to play in your life? What aspects are good and need to be celebrated? What aspects are not so good and need to be forgotten? Does your background point towards or away from God?
Five-minute Story:
Opulent hotels are shoulder to shoulder forming a barrier between the busy Honolulu city streets and the famous Waikiki beach. At high tide, the ocean almost touches these fancy abodes of visitors from around the world. Palm trees, flowering plumeria trees, hibiscus, crashing surf, and the Diamond Head volcano in the background match the luxury that tourists encounter. It is a tropical experience right in the midst of a city of almost three hundred seventy-five thousand. Some would say paradise. I would not disagree.
The shoreline of Waikiki extends beyond the resort hotels to include Kuhio beach. Here the hotels are on the other side of Kalakaua Ave. A statue of surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku stands guard over this public space. His arms, draped with flower leis, are extending in a welcoming gesture. It is, after all, the land of Aloha.
Early in the morning, I walked to this beach with my family. At a nearby McDonald’s we ordered a “local favorite plate” consisting of eggs, SPAM, rice, Portuguese sausage, and pineapple. Taking our breakfast to go, we crossed Kalakaua Ave and headed for the picnic pavilion right by Duke’s statue.
When we got to the tables and benches, we noticed that they were all taken. Every bench in the public beach had someone sleeping on it. Bundles of people, blankets, and bags scattered all around. Homelessness is a serious problem and flashpoint issue in the Aloha state, which has the nation’s highest per capita homeless population. I would find out later that Hawaii recently passed laws making it a criminal offense to sit or lie on sidewalks in tourist districts. Although efforts are simultaneously being made (and in part funded by tourism) to provide shelters, transitional housing, and assistance - law enforcement efforts have essentially criminalized homelessness in Waikiki.
Unable to find a table, we sat on a lava rock wall to eat our tropical SPAM delight. Overhead the Palm trees and bunches of plumeria flowers swayed in the gentle morning breeze. The waves crashing on Oahu's reef were the only sound breaking the silence of the moment.
As we ate, we had a visitor of the avian variety. At first glance, I thought it was a pigeon! How did this bird, which is a common nuisance in the city streets back east where I grew up, make it all the way to Hawaii? Upon closer inspection, I discovered that the bird that was not a pigeon but a dove. A mangy dove in paradise! With judgment and suspicion, I looked upon this shabby creature.
In my mind, doves are pristine. They sing songs of love as they coo in the trees. They are biblical too. It was a dove that brought an olive branch to Noah and a dove that descended upon Jesus at his baptism. Doves are peaceful symbols imbued with hope. They don’t beg for processed ham in high-rent places where it is illegal to sit or lie on the sidewalk.
What kind of symbol could a mangy dove on a Waikiki beach be? Hope? Peace? Or, it is more an invitation to open my heart to the struggle of others in a world that solves problems by pushing them away into the shadows?