Tag Archives: Justice

Bearing Fruit

Advent

Advent

December 4, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 3:1-12

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,
‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
   make his paths straight.” ’

Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ –Matthew 3:1-6, 11-12

Bear fruit worthy of repentance. One of my favorite stories of faith is John Newton’s. He is the author of the hymn Amazing Grace. Growing up, he had little or no faith-based background. After being conscripted into the English navy as a young man, he continued a career in sailing. Upon discharge, he became involved in the lucrative business of transporting slaves. On one treacherous trip, his ship was caught in a massive storm. John Newton found himself praying to a God he barely knew, committing his life to the Lord if he were saved. He survived the storm and keep his promise. Another ten or so years passed before he was convicted of how wrong the slave trade was. He was ordained in the Anglican church and became an ardent abolitionist. He bore fruit worthy of repentance.

While we may never have been caught up in such evil itself, we have a responsibility to address evil as it impacts others. We are called to do justice and not just ignore the evil that surrounds us.

Prayer: Lord, as you opened John Newton’s heart to the evil that surrounded him, open ours to the injustice that is in our world today and show us the way to overcome it for all people. 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.

Growing in Love

Advent

December 3, 2022

Scripture Reading: Matthew 3:1-12

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,
‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
   make his paths straight.” ’
Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ –Matthew 3:1-6, 11-12

John the Baptist is saying that all need repentance. We, indeed, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) The one who is coming demands more. He demands that we learn to live together and care for each other as we grow in wisdom and truth.

Humans stumble through progress. Sometimes we take two steps back and one step forward. Repentance can lead to self-righteousness rather than a quest for justice.  We are drawn to measuring our worth by needing to be better than others. The only person we are challenged to improve is ourselves. By interacting, however, we may learn from others as they learn from us.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for coming to us in human form as a role model in sharing God’s love. 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.

The Name of All Names

Advent

The Jesus Wept Statue at the Oklahoma City Memorial

December 2, 2022

Scripture Reading: Romans 15:4-13

Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
‘Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles,
   and sing praises to your name’;
and again he says,
‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people’;
and again,
‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
   and let all the peoples praise him’;
and again Isaiah says,
‘The root of Jesse shall come,
   the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
in him the Gentiles shall hope.’

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. –Romans 15:7-13

Antisemitism has been increasingly raising its ugly head in the US.  Synagogues and Temples have been sites of bombings and mass shootings. The quote included in the above scripture is from Psalm 69, which is described as a Prayer for Deliverance from Persecution.

God is God; however, we name God. The English word god comes from the Old English god, which itself is derived from the Proto-Germanic *ǥuđán. Its cognates in other Germanic languages include guþ, gudis (both Gothic), guð (Old Norse), god (Old Saxon, Old Frisian, and Old Dutch), and got (Old High German)*.

Jews refer to God as YHWH, a name too sacred to speak. The scriptures also refer to God as Adonai or Elohim. This naming somehow was Latinized as Jehovah. The Spanish word for God is Dios. The Muslim word for God is Allah. Christians speak of Jesus as God Incarnate, fully divine, fully human. Many Native American people refer to God as the Great Spirit.

After the Oklahoma City bombing, a pastor (I am sorry, I do not remember who) said the first one to weep was God. I think that is true of all such acts of violence against any of God’s people, particularly, when the violence stems from persons who profess to act in the name of God.

Prayer: Forgive us, Holy One, when we name you as our excuse for violence. Heal us from searching for self-worth in all the wrong places. Help us understand that our worth was implanted in our creation as were all humans when we were made in your image. Amen.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_(word)#:~:text=The%20English%20word%20god%20comes,got%20(Old%20High%20German).

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.

Government and Leadership

Advent

November 30, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19

Prayer for Guidance and Support for the King

Of Solomon.
Give the king your justice, O God,
   and your righteousness to a king’s son.
May he judge your people with righteousness,
   and your poor with justice
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
   and the hills, in righteousness.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
   give deliverance to the needy,
   and crush the oppressor. –Psalm 72:1-4

I included the title offered in my Bible for this scripture as it is helpful to know that this was a prayer for Solomon when he assumed the throne. We do not live in a monarchy. In a democracy, we have installed new leaders recently, and we do need to pray for them. In a democracy, we, the people, are responsible for selecting qualified people for each job and for holding their feet to the fire to address well the issues for which we elected them to represent us. Certainly, a fair justice system is important, particularly for the “least of these*” who may not have the voice or influence necessary to correct injustice in our society.

The national poverty rate was 12.8% in 2021 but was significantly different for the nation’s oldest and youngest populations, according to a new Census Bureau report released today.

The child poverty rate (for people under age 18) was 16.9% in 2021, 4.2 percentage points higher than the national rate, while poverty for those ages 65 and over was 10.3%, 2.5 percentage points lower than the national rate**.

In the US, one out of every 10 people over 65 lives in poverty. At the same time, Congress is considering how to cut Social Security and Medicare, which are the programs that make the elderly have q poverty rate lower than the national rate. The worst outcome is that one out of every six children lives in poverty while we have a low unemployment rate. How can the poverty rate be so high if the unemployment rate is so low?  The minimum wage has not been raised since 2009. It is meaningless today, as is the official poverty rate; both are well below a living wage***. If governments are responsible for caring for the poor, then we have much catching up to do.

Prayer: Lord, help us all be defenders of the poor. Amen.

*Matthew 25:40 And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

** https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2022/10/poverty-rate-varies-by-age-groups.html#:~:text=U.S.%20Poverty%20Rate%20Is%2012.8%25%20but%20Varies%20Significantly%20by%20Age%20Groups&text=A%20.,organization%20in%20the%20United%20States.

***See MIT’s Living Wage Calculator at https://livingwage.mit.edu/

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.

Wearing the Armor of Light

Advent

November 25, 2022

Scripture Reading: Romans 13:11-14
Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

During the run-up to the election, we were barraged with advertisements that were described as being provided by “dark” money. Ads with mean-spirited pictures wrapped in dark fog seemed to pick a small bit of out-of-context truth and shape it into some force that would purportedly end the world as we know it if we allowed it to prosper through the leadership of a specified candidate. I received between ten to 20 text messages every day asking for donations to support candidates as they try to fight back from the condescending ads. I wondered where they got my phone number. It irks me to know that our government cannot keep track of children who have crossed legally into the US when my personal information was spread helter-skelter among candidates across the country. If we get nothing else done before the next election, we must pass legislation that at least requires the “dark” money donors to be identified.

Paul’s comments above, however, are not targeted at our nation. They are targeted at us. Whether we like it or not our government reflects “We the People.” It is our bigotry, greed, and lust for power that provide the steam for candidates’ ads. We must wake from sleep lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

This week the Oklahoma City Council considered rule changes regarding the homeless people on our streets. The proposal was very detrimental to them. Forty citizens attended that meeting to speak against the measure, which failed. They wore the armor of light.

Prayer: Lord, help us examine ourselves to see if we reflect your love in our civic responsibilities and create clean hearts and right spirits* in us enabling us to shine your light through our communities, our nation, and the world.  Amen.

*Derived from Psalm 51:10

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.

From War to Peace

Advent

November 22, 2022

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5
The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come
   the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
   and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
   Many peoples shall come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
   to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
   and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
   and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
   and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
   and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
   neither shall they learn war anymore.
O house of Jacob,
   come, let us walk
   in the light of the Lord!

As challenging and heartbreaking as pulling our troops out of Afghanistan was, I think it was the right thing to do. What we have not noted well is that this is the first time in over 20 years that we have not been at war, declared or not.  We do not know what is going to happen in Ukraine or if Russia will move into NATO countries that might immediately thrust us into another war. Now is the time, however, to re-think our relationships with other nations and how we can move further away from violence as a cure for anything.

One of the goals we need to work on is making sure that every person in our world has enough—enough food, clothing, shelter, health care, safety, and a safe climate. A living wage for everyone would make a significant difference in each of these necessities. Ultimately it is the Kingdom of God, the Beloved Community.

Prayer: Lord, help us identify our role in developing the Beloved Community and empower us to fulfill it at our best. 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.

God’s Righteousness

Living in the Spirit

November 15, 2022

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’ –Jeremiah 23:5-6

Apparently, what was missing in Israel in Jeremiah’s time was justice—at least the right kind of justice. What is just to me may not be just to you. For example, I do not think capital punishment is just, but its use is legal in my state. I do not think undocumented aliens being sent to jail when they are caught is just when they were brought here to work at below-legal wages with no benefits and no limits on the number of hours required to work for a company that will only get a fine for hiring them. I think the CEO committed the crime and should be the one going to jail. I would vet the undocumented person. If they have a clean record, they should be considered for a work visa allowing them to work for someone who is following the law. If there is no legal job available for them or they do not have a clean record, they should be deported to their native country. Labor trafficking is perhaps less repulsive but is not different from sex trafficking.

Jeremiah is saying that true justice and righteousness are defined by God and modeled for us by the one called the Lord-is-our-righteousness, whom we Christians identify as Jesus Christ. Much of the teachings in the gospels describe Jesus’s interpretation of justice. We love those stories, but do we live them?

Prayer: Lord, help us to study your word to discern your ways of righteousness. 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.

Take Heed

Living in the Spirit

November 14, 2022

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6

Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord. –Jeremiah 23:1-4

Most of the dark money ads that took over our media leading up to the election were designed to destroy and scatter the members of our democracy. Some of them presented their viewpoints in the name of God without regard to the harm they do, not only to the wellbeing of people, but in turning people away from the God that is love by characterizing God as a supporter of bigotry, lust for power, and greed. Jeremiah’s scripture above addresses God’s response to such an attack on God’s people.

Jeremiah’s warnings related to Judah’s exile to Babylon. Isaiah, Hosea, and Amos also addressed the people getting caught up in the idols of their day. It is frightening to read these prophets of the Hebrew Bible warning people that their lack of attention to what was going on about them was a major factor in their downfall. We today need to listen to their wise counsel for the same evil is afoot in our land.

Prayer:

Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
forgive our foolish ways;
reclothe us in our rightful mind,
in purer lives thy service find,
in deeper reverence, praise.

In simple trust like theirs who heard
beside the Syrian sea
the gracious calling of the Lord,
let us, like them, without a word
rise up and follow thee*. Amen.

*The first and second verses of the hymn Dear Lord and Father of mankind by John Greenleaf Whitter see at https://hymnary.org/text/dear_lord_and_father_of_mankind

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.

Owning What We Say

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.

A New Song

Living in the Spirit

November 9, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 98
O sing to the Lord a new song,
   for he has done marvelous things.
His right hand and his holy arm
   have gained him victory.
The Lord has made known his victory;
   he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
   to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
   the victory of our God.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
   break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
   with the lyre and the sound of melody.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
   make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
   the world and those who live in it.
Let the floods clap their hands;
   let the hills sing together for joy
at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming
   to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
   and the peoples with equity.

What a wonderful scripture for the day after the election. I do not know about you, but I am ready for a new song. Or perhaps I am longing for this very old psalm that assures us that God is the God of joy, beauty, music, and nature. God is love. We seem to have lost sight of that over the tension of the problems in our world today. As we prepare to turn the page on our choices of who will represent us in our government and start working together, we must let go of our divisiveness and work together to build God’s beloved world community.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for ordering chaos when you created the earth and for ordering the chaos we bring on ourselves as we meet the challenges of the world head-on.  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.