February 21st

Don’t leave me hanging!

Have you ever met someone and when you reached out to shake their hand their attention was drawn elsewhere and you were left, awkward – hand sticking out in a friendly gesture that is completely lost on the one you extended it to?   

Or raised your hand for a high five only to realize too late that the moment of comradery was lost and you’re “left hanging?”  No hand comes up to meet yours and you furtively tuck your hand back into your pocket and hope no one noticed your exuberant “gimme 5” face followed by a slightly blanched look and a quick turn in the opposite direction. Do you know what I’m talking about?  

A high five or a handshake are extensions of community, a way of saying “nice to meet you” or “I agree” or “let’s do this!” or “we did it!”  But not much feels worse than a one sided “nice to meet you” or a “let’s do this!” met with silence.  

I wonder how often we let this fear of being left hanging stop us from extending the hand in the first place.  It’s vulnerable stuff, extending ourselves to others and hoping for a response, but it’s important stuff.   

A good high five is worth a lot – beyond the hearty hand slap, there’s usually eye contact, a sense of “we’re in this together” and sometimes a new relationship begins! Worth the risk?  I think yes. 

 So, I’ll start us off with a few high fives of my own:  

• High five to Arnold Kukanu for this Menno Minute calling the church  to “draw inspiration from the courage of those fishermen who took a leap of faith into the unknown” and to “drop everything and address the pressing issue of climate change.” 
• High Five to Holyrood Mennonite and First Mennonite in Edmonton – both congregations applied for and received an Emissions Reduction Grant through MC Canada in 2023 – taking the opportunity for conversation and action around emissions reduction in their church buildings!  
• High Five to the Creation Care Working Group of MCA! Headed up by Charlene Lauzier and Liesel Retzleff this group describes its mission like this: “to equip and support congregations throughout the conference to respond faithfully to challenges such as the climate crisis and climate justice.”  Not only is this a high five moment, but it’s a handshake waiting to happen!  Has your congregation stuck out a hand in response to this group yet?  

Now I’m going to stick out my hand for a shake – are you ready?  A small group of parents from across MC Canada has created a collection of resources designed to support intergenerational dialogue and action in response to the climate crisis –Take a look at Together in Hope and join us for its launch next week. Don’t leave me hanging!  

And MC Canada will soon launch the Emissions Reduction Grant for 2024.  Consider applying or supporting another congregation in your regional church family to apply.  Who knows where that offer of a handshake could lead! 

Incredible partnerships await a church that’s ready to extend a hand in invitation to partner or to reach out for the high five of encouragement!  What direction might your next handshake or high five go? You might be left hanging… but you might not!