Living in the Spirit

November 13, 2022

Scripture Reading: Luke 21:5-19

‘But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls. –Luke 5:12-19

To prepare one’s defense in advance seems to be an attempt to justify something that was wrong. The problem when the words written above were recorded and still the problem today in seeking justice is that we all see things the way we choose to see them based on our backgrounds. Police investigators get suspicious when all the witnesses to an event tell the same story. That does not normally happen. l am 5 foot two inches tall, and I see the world from that height. A seven-footer standing right next to me gets an entirely different view. Both are most likely telling the truth as they experienced it.

I was taught in a class many years ago when trying to work with groups to you “I” language. That simply means setting the norm for discussion in recognition of the fact that everyone does not perceive the world in the same way. Everyone owning their viewpoint enables the group to search among the difference to find the common threads that might end a stalemate. My way or the highway lands most of us in a serious traffic jam. Abortion is a great example of that. The best way to markedly end abortion is to provide quality, affordable, and easily accessible preventive health care; provide a quality public education that allows students to form good decision-making habits and prepare them for a career that will allow them to start their adult life beyond poverty. Yet the USA has the most expensive health care system in the world and does not provide adequate financial support for education leaving many youths stuck in low-wage jobs as adults. We can and must do better than that.

Prayer: Lord, give us the words to say when we work together toward building a better world forall your children. Amen.

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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.