Christmas
January 2, 2015
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14
With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.
— Ephesians 1:8b-12
Been shaking your head and wringing your hands recently? Think the world is falling apart and you don’t know how to stop it? Bothered by wars, economic inequity, and racism? Or perhaps you are on the other side of experiencing the world. Excited about the rising stock market, pleased with the value of your home going up, hope to have the best year ever in your job or business, don’t understand what all those naysayers are jabbering about? I have been reading various top ten news events of 2014 and been struck by how very different the perspectives are here in the United State of America.
This reminds me of a conversation I once had with a good friend as we looked back on our college days in the 1960’s. We did not know each other then. My memories were related to the Civil Rights and anti-war movements. I remembered attending a church whose minister was an outspoken white supremacists that my professor had invited to speak to my class on racism. The minister countered by saying that if the professor wanted his students to hear the minister’s message they needed to visit his church. The class all went together and were seated but by the minister’s instructions, the deacons asked the members of the class who were not white to leave. We all left with them. I also remember being totally against the War in Vietnam and totally ashamed of those who spit on the soldiers returning from it. My friend indicated that she did not remember any of that. She remember football games and homecoming, sorority events, and meeting her future husband.
In all honesty I long for a world where everyone’s memories of college relate to sports events and meeting future spouses. A world where all people live in security with justice, but we are not there yet. We are also not helpless. We serve a Risen Savior who came into this world to show us the way to peace and justice through acts of love. We are not called to bury our heads in the sand or to stop voting and let whatever will be, be. We are called to be a light on the hill by following Jesus’ radical way of being and doing peace and justice. We cannot do that as a fragmented Body of Christ. We must find the common ground and pursue it with all that we are with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer:
Weave, weave, weave us together,
Weave us together in unity and love.
Weave, weave, weave us together,
Weave us together, together in love.* Amen.
* Words and music by Rosemary Crow. Full text of lyrics may be found at: http://songs-with-music.freeservers.com/weave.html
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.