08-04-26

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 4, 2026
Many people probably do not care, but a new season of Ted Lasso goes live at midnight tonight (actually, I think it is at 2am Central time). If you’re not a fan of the AppleTV series, that’s okay, but it is, in my opinion, some of the best writing I’ve known. I both laughed until I hurt and cried all in the same episode, and this happened numerous times. But more importantly, the underlying story, at least in my opinion, is that hurting people hurt people. Whether it is grief from a childhood tragedy, a betrayal by a spouse, or a father who imposed his own insecurities on his son, the recurring message is how those events continue to inform the present in some pretty unhealthy ways. It was only radical love and compassion that was capable of beginning the necessary work of healing. And those who have been hurt yet find healing can often be some of the best tour guides on the pathway to self-love and wholeness. Some might say I’m a cheesy minister who is always on the lookout for a good illustration, and there might be some truth in those words, but I found that Ted Lasso often retold the Christian narrative better than those of us who call ourselves Jesus followers. When Jesus told a parable, he didn’t use a lot of lofty religious language or pious-sounding rhetoric. He talked about something that seemed completely unrelated to faith, yet something to which his listeners could easily relate. And when he was done, I imagine the initial response was the kind of amusement one might experience after hearing a good story, but as the story (parable) worked on the curiosity of the listener, a new set of questions emerged along with a new layer of potential meaning. Suddenly, the audience was talking among themselves about the story from a lived standpoint. The parable was not an analogy with a single meaning, but an invitation into an experience. Ted Lasso does this brilliantly, and I have high hopes for this new season. And there are some lessons we could take, both from the TV series and the Gospels.

Help me to fully engage and experience the journey, Merciful Guide, and to let go of any need to arrive at the destination with speed and safety. Amen.