A note from Pastor Travis 10/6/22

Dear FUMC Family and Friends,

Do you know of Gurdeep Pandher of the Yukon? If not, let me introduce you to this remarkable man. Gurdeep is an Indian-born naturalized citizen of Canada. He describes himself on his Twitter account with these words: “Sikh-Canadian dancing Bhangra– traditional folk dance of Panjab & talking about his philosophy of joy, hope, positivity & inclusivity for healing/optimism.” It is a great description of him. 

Gurdeep is deeply committed to inclusivity and justice and has made it his mission to bridge cultural divides to foster acceptance and positive race relations. Through this he is working to break down the barriers that people of color face. How does he do this? He dances! He has physically danced all across Canada and through the wonders of the internet he has danced all across the world. He teaches traditional dances of his culture and will often incorporate dances from other cultures into his dances. 

Like most people, I discovered him during the pandemic. As COVID-19 begin to spread, Gurdeep made it his mission to both share awareness of the pandemic and to bring hope and optimism to people who were struggling and feeling isolated because of the pandemic. His dances bring joy and delight. His outlook on life and the joy on his face put you in a good mood. His sense of inclusivity brings joy to the soul. 

He is an ambassador of joy. On his website he writes, “Joy is more than having fun. Joy means your nerves are calm, your anxieties are elsewhere. Your heart (not just lips) is smiling; your breathing is soothing like a breeze; your world is perfect in the mess of imperfections around you. Joy could be an ideal meditation. If all emotions are valuable, then even tears of joy can make us get up and dance. One thing more about joy; we need it, just like we need food to survive. Go find your joy! Start by searching within yourself or going out in nature.”   

I am sharing this story with you for three reasons.

The first is to help you discover more joy. If you were unaware of Gurdeep, I encourage you to look him up online and watch some of his videos. They will make you smile. If you were already aware of him, I encourage you to first finish reading the e-news, then go watch one of his videos.  You will smile. 

The second reason is to invite you to take a few moments to reflect on what brings you joy. This world can be difficult. Many people are struggling.  We need more joy.  We need to laugh more. Where do you find joy? I encourage to take time to find joy each day. You deserve it.

The third reason is to encourage you to share your joy with others. I am sure that you already do this. However, I want to encourage you to be intentional about it. There are a lot of people who could use a laugh. There are many who need to be told that they are doing a good job. There are those who need a word of encouragement. You can share it with them. It is simple to do, and when we do, we find that it brings us joy too.

You are an incredible person made by a good God. Genesis 1 says that God looked at all of creation and said that it was “good.” That means you are “good.” The Hebrew word translated as “good” can also be translated as “beautiful.” God looked at creation and said that it is “beautiful.” You are too. 

I hope that you find joy today. Excuse me now, I am going to watch Gurdeep dance. It is good for my soul.

Blessings and Grace,

Pastor Travis