Rejection is an inevitable aspect of life that we all encounter. May 2024

by khurst2@gmail.com | May 6, 2024 | Chaplain, News

“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;”

Psalm 118:22

Bob Marley – Cornerstone Story

I love me some Bob Marley. His music, his swag, his message…I love it all. May 11 marks 43 years since his passing, yet his legacy endures.

Bob Marley’s legacy continues to be influential despite his imperfections. He is almost revered as a deity. True fans understand the numerous challenges and hardships that shaped Bob Marley into the icon he became. His early life was marked by rejection and poverty. His mixed-race heritage made him feel like an outsider for most of his life. His father was largely absent from his life, with Bob only meeting him a few times. A pivotal moment occurred when Bob Marley sought assistance from his father’s family. Despite his striking resemblance to them, they denied knowing him, rejecting him outright. This rejection deeply wounded Marley and served as a transformative experience. He turned a painful moment into a source of inspiration, allegedly penning the song “Cornerstone” in response to this experience of rejection.

The cornerstone, a crucial element in construction, symbolizes unity and stability. It serves to establish the foundation, ensuring that the structure stands strong, and fostering unity by connecting two walls. Essentially, the cornerstone is the glue that holds everything together. Without this stone, the entire structure risks collapsing. In the same way, Bob Marley’s music served as a cornerstone, uniting people and providing stability in a world of chaos.

Bob Marley’s music was centered around unity and holding authorities accountable. He was a highly influential figure in Jamaica and the world during his lifetime. He is renowned for his efforts to reconcile two conflicting political parties at the One Love Peace Concert in Jamaica.

Bob Marley on stage with Edward Seaga of the Jamaican Labor Party and
Michael Manley of the People’s National Party. April 22, 1978

Rejection is an inevitable aspect of life that we all encounter. It can lead to bitterness and resentment or inspire us to continue spreading love and positivity. Bob Marley experienced rejection, but he used this pain as a catalyst to elevate his name beyond his family’s reputation. In essence, Bob became the cornerstone, the pivotal element in his own life’s structure.

We are all confronted with a choice. How do we handle our pain? How do we respond to rejection? Do we let it harden us and breed bitterness, or do we use it as a catalyst for transformation and greatness? Always remember the stone that the builders refused will always be the head cornerstone.

Leave the Tomb – April 2024

by khurst2@gmail.com | Apr 3, 2024 | Chaplain, News

“Why seek the living among the dead?”

Luke 24:5

About 1,991 years ago, a group of courageous women arrived at a tomb with a solemn purpose: to anoint the body of their crucified leader. But they were in for a huge surprise. When they arrived at the tomb, they saw that their leader’s tomb was open, and his body was missing. As the women are shocked, confused, and afraid, they notice men in dazzling clothing. These men ask the women a strange question: “Why do you look for the living amongst the dead?” What a peculiar question.

I have a recurring dream of being in my grandparents’ house. In this dream, I am alone. I don’t know how I got there, where my family is, or when they are returning. Also, I am afraid. Around this time last year, I visited my grandparents’ house. I had not set foot inside since my grandfather’s funeral 25 years prior. I walked through the house. The rooms that once held love and life now seemed smaller, memories etched in their walls. I wandered around the house, hoping to understand my recurring dream.

How often do we return to our own places of fear and pain? Like a recurring dream, we revisit the scenes of loss, betrayal, or heartache. Yet, we find that revisiting ground zero doesn’t always fulfill our longing. The past remains, but we are called to embrace the present.

Just as the women arrived at an empty tomb and felt fear, I found myself repeatedly drawn to an empty house, my heart echoing their trepidation. The parallel is uncanny. Like the empty tomb, the empty house symbolizes more than physical space. It holds memories, echoes of pain, and unanswered questions. We return to these places of pain, seeking hope, redemption, and closure. Yet, we often find ourselves staring at remnants—the linen, the walls—wondering where the answers lie.

Why do we return to these empty places?

“Why seek the living among the dead?”

The answer is not within the tomb or, in my case, the empty house. It is outside, among the living.

It’s time to walk out of those tombs. The sun is rising, casting light on a new horizon. Fear, sadness, anxiety, anger, jealousy—they no longer define us.

In the words of Nina Simone,

“It’s a new dawn.

It’s a new day.

It’s a new life for me.

And I’m feeling good.”