Tag Archives: Justice

A Time to Care

Living in the Spirit

July 30, 2021

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:1-16

The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. –Ephesians 4:11-16

We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. Sound familiar?

I do not think most of the verbal bouts we hear daily in our nation have much to do with the stated outrage. Instead, it is all about power and money. If some of our leaders think you care about an issue and your support will get them votes or donations, they will speak in favor of it.

With all the problems related to COVID, the one I heard my Senator taking a stand on was improving the delay of getting passports. While some may be in desperate need to return to jobs and family, generally, vacationers need passports. Tomorrow the moratorium on evictions ends, making thousands of citizens vulnerable to losing their homes and ending up on the streets. Adequate federal money was allocated to offset this problem, but many states have not been able to get it into the hands of those who need it. Part of that is the result of states underfunding for years the agencies that must handle the distribution and do not now have the resources to move the money quickly to where it is needed. The other more sinister part is that some government officials do not agree that those out of work need help. I am a bit surprised they do not care about the landlords or mortgage holders.

We must always hold our behavior and the behavior of those who lead us up to God’s standards to guide our service as workers in God’s Kingdom.

Prayer: Lord, help us develop in your righteousness, justice, and mercy as we strive to love like Jesus. 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.

When Good People Do Nothing

Living in the Spirit

July 29, 2021

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:1-16

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

In my lifetime, the correspondence from prison that left the most significant impression on me was Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from the Birmingham Jail. I wonder when he thought to compose it if he had just read Paul’s letter from the jail in Ephesus. While nearly 2000 years separate the two letters, the call for oneness fed by humility and love still flows through our world. We Christ-followers have a special calling to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, while working continuously toward justice for all. I learned in a recent Bible study that the prisons in Paul’s time did not provide food. Prisoners were one relative or friend away from sickness, even starvation if their sentences were long. Paul thanked those who cared for him while he was in prison (Philippians. 1:3-11). Had they not taken care of him, we, today, most likely would not have been blessed with his writings.

“We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.” ― Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from the Birmingham Jail

While we might not be willing to go to jail for our faith, we can do much to further the cause of justice in this world. Writing our elected officials and firmly stating our support of just legislation is one way. Helping people legally eligible to vote who cannot because of barriers to their access is another. Let us not be among the appalling silence of the good people.

Prayer: Lord, open our eyes that we might see where our silence is hurting others. Empower us to do justice. 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.

Misuse of Power

Living in the Spirit

July 26, 2021

Scripture Reading:
2 Samuel 11:26 – 12:13a

But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord, and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, ‘There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds; but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meagre fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.’ Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, ‘As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.’ –2 Samuel 12:1-6

Of course, David was the man who took Bathsheba after having her husband killed in battle. Nathan used this story to tell a powerful man the reality he needed to face. There are many influential people in our world today running roughshod over anybody that gets in the way of their power or their greed. They, like David, have lost all sense of how their prestige and wealth have reshaped their view of themselves. It takes a child’s story to remind David what he had known all his life from his experience as a shepherd. Good shepherds, rather than taking advantage of their sheep, protect them from harm. Perhaps we all need to examine ourselves and see if there is a lesson here for all of us.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me when I forget to love my neighbor as I live myself. 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.

Living Savior

Living in the Spirit

July 25, 2021

Scripture Reading: John 6:1-21

When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, got into a boat, and started across the lake to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The lake became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the lake and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’ Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land towards which they were going.

Something unusual happened on a body of water at night in a storm, involving Jesus’s walking on water. It is recorded in three of the gospels*. Another story is reported that Jesus was asleep in a boat, a storm arose, and he quieted the water. The disciples express fear of the weather in these stories, causing Jesus to question their faith as he calms the storms. What are we to make of this? Why were the stories significant enough to appear so often?

The past eighteen months have felt like an out-of-control storm or two with a pandemic and a messy election hitting at the same time. We have all longed for a superpower to calm the waters, right our life’s ships, and provide smooth sailing during these challenges. Jesus had presented a fresh and compelling way of being among his followers. However, it was not accepted by the powers-that-be. Therefore, following Jesus was dangerous at times. Doing the right thing, doing justice right is always tricky when the principalities and powers are threatened. Paul describes it this way in Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

We must remember this:

I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today
I know that He is living, whatever men may say
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer
And just the time I need Him He’s always near
He lives (He lives), He lives (He lives), Christ Jesus lives today
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life’s narrow way
He lives (He lives), He lives (He lives), Salvation to impart
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for your presence and guidance as we attempt to sail the seas of life. Amen.

*Also see Mark 6:45-56; Matthew 8:23–27; Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22–25

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.

Feeding the 5,000

Living in the Spirit

July 24, 2021

Scripture Reading: John 6:1-21

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias.  A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?’ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, ‘Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?’ Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.’ So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, ‘This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.’

When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

I have heard many sermons trying to explain this event and read commentaries doing the same.  I guess I am just too practical. I am sure these words have deep theological meanings, but when I read it, it says that when people are hungry, feed them. Even as the richest nation, we are doing a terrible job feeding the hungry.

How many people are hungry in the world? Globally, about 8.9% of the world’s population — 690 million people — go to bed on an empty stomach each night. Since 2014, the number of people affected by hunger has been slowly on the rise. If it continues at this rate, it’ll exceed 840 million by 2030*.

The USA provides the SNAP (food stamp) program, but I often hear people denigrate those who receive this help as lazy. They just need to get a job. The fact is that 75% of families receiving SNAP have one family member that works, and one-third of that 75% have more than one family member that works. Sixteen percent are over age 65. At least some are permanently and totally disabled. Non-disabled adults who are not working must seek work and take jobs offered to qualify for SNAP.

I know people are sick of hearing this, but hunger is a systemic problem related to low wages and the distribution of wealth that is far outside acceptable norms.  Indeed, the poor will always be with us, as will the rich, but having low wealth should not equate to suffering from hunger.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for taking the distribution of wealth in our world for granted. Help us develop a system where everyone at least has enough of the necessities of life. Amen.

*https://www.worldvision.org/hunger-news-stories/world-hunger-facts

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.

Feeding the Hungry

Living in the Spirit

July 20, 2021

Scripture Reading:
2 Kings 4:42-44

A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing food from the first fruits to the man of God: twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. Elisha said, ‘Give it to the people and let them eat.’ But his servant said, ‘How can I set this before a hundred people?’ So he repeated, ‘Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the Lord, “They shall eat and have some left.”‘ He set it before them, they ate, and had some left, according to the word of the Lord.

Does this scripture sound familiar? It immediately reminded me of the story of Jesus feeding the 5000 (Matthew 14:13-21).  He was a student of the Hebrew scripture. We sometimes forget that God with Us is yesterday, today, and forever.

Regular pictures of hungry and dying children in Yemen appear on news programs. Yesterday I saw the starving children of Syria. There is something very wrong with a world where some countries throw away more food than could feed all the starving people in the world. We can have fierce theological discussions on various topics in the Bible, but there is no question that God wanted all of God’s children to have enough food and that all people are God’s children. Nowhere in any of those stories are there forms to fill out to determine if the people are eligible or requirements that they must work or seek work. In fact, feeding the hungry is the first item on Jesus’s criteria for judging us. (Matthew 25:35)

Prayer: Lord, help us feed the hungry directly and assure that our society addresses the significant systemic challenges to address hunger. 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.

Chosen to Serve

Living in the Spirit

July 19, 20219

Scripture Reading:
2 Samuel 11:1-15

In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15In the letter he wrote, ‘Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, so that he may be struck down and die.‘ –2 Samuel 11:14-15

I chose not to include the entire scripture that describes the sordid details of David’s dalliance with Bathsheba. The scripture reference is cited above if you wish to read it. The affair itself was bad enough. Having her husband killed to cover up David’s behavior went beyond the pale in the world, and he knew that. With no respect for life, he moved to protect his public image as king. I do not see God anywhere in this story. I do see the presence of politics and ego. I see the desire to check piety off the resume’ one presents to the public. I fear that describes for many the primary purpose of our faith.

The sad part of this story is that David had walked with the Lord from childhood, maintaining a close relationship throughout his life as it has been described to us. After this incident, he eventually sought forgiveness and returned to his faithful practices. So how does evil pressure even someone like David, like all of us, rushing into lust and murder? Following a restless stroll across the balcony of his palace, he sees a woman bathing on her rooftop and decides he wants her. He apparently was bored and missing the excitement of battle since he had turned the army over to his generals.

A lot of people are now caught up in all the varied responses resulting from COVID. Being told that the best thing I could do to help address the pandemic was to stay home, wash my hands, and wear a mask was challenging to one who wants to fix wrong things. I have wondered if some people’s reluctance to get the vaccine is an in-your-face response to the disease, saying, “You cannot rule my life.” Even though it can. This type of tragedy does not routinely impact many of our lives directly. We think we are the chosen people of God. Thus, our sense of selectness is challenged when disasters touch us. I accept that it rains on the just and the unjust*. And I believe that when we open our hearts to God, we do become a part of God’s workforce, chosen to take God’s Kingdom to higher plains. That is what I think it means to be chosen. We need not let boredom, fear, or a sense of lost value drive us to let evil influence us.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we get caught up in the ways of the world and forget for whom we work. Amen.

*Matthew 5:45

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.

Shepherding

Living in the Spirit

July 17, 2021

Scripture Reading: Mark 6:30-34

The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

We see a lot of people in our world today who are like sheep without a shepherd. We need to love and care for them to restore their souls.

Seventeen out of every 10,000 people in the United States were experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2019 during HUD’s Annual Point-in-Time Count.  These 567,715 people represent a cross-section of America.  They are associated with every region of the country, family status, gender category, and racial/ethnic group*. Some are youth. Others are former soldiers who find the transition from war to life at home difficult.

There are others we do not consider to be sheep without a shepherd. They are people whose only interest is making more money, gaining more power—accumulating stuff, being better than others. Such people are lost in the world’s false facades of righteousness and justice.  We must reach these people if we are ever going to be able to address the needs of all God’s children. Greed and lust for power feed on oppressing others. Such actions are often justified by self-righteousness and the denigration of others.

We must start this difficult task by looking ourselves squarely in the mirror and determining where we fit this continuum. Are we lacking wholeness, and are we thus in need of a shepherd? At some level, could we be caught in the greed and lust for power cycle? Accordingly, are their changes needed in our lives?

Prayer: Lord, forgive me when I get too caught up in the ways of the world that I forget who I am to follow. Guide me back into your fold. Amen.

*https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-2020/

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.

Guilt or Responsibility

Living in the Spirit

July 11, 2021

Scripture Reading:

Mark 6:14-29

King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, ‘John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.’ But others said, ‘It is Elijah.’ And others said, ‘It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.’ But when Herod heard of it, he said, ‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.’ –Mark 6:14-16

Guilt struck Herod when he heard about the teacher Jesus and assumed John the Baptist had returned from the dead. The dictionary definition of guilt* is:

  1. the state of one who has committed an offense especially consciously
  2. feelings of culpability especially for imagined offenses or from a sense of inadequacy : morbid self-reproach often manifest in marked preoccupation with the moral correctness of one’s behavior

I like Freud’s idea that guilt is anger turned inward.

We live in an interesting time—an anti-guilt time. Guilt is usually not helpful. Indeed, it is a primary source of depression. But that does not mean we cannot discuss our nation’s history of slavery because we are not responsible for the sins of our ancestors. Likewise, we cannot study critical race theory because it might hurt the feelings of people whose ancestors practiced racism. Are not those two issues contradictory in terms, or do they complement each other?

I, too, do not think guilt is helpful when it channels our energies in self-destructive ways. A little responsibility that creates remorse**, however, could be beneficial. We do need to learn from history if we do not want to repeat its harmful elements. Most of the Bible is an attempt to help us learn from mistakes. I was amused when I toured Thomas Jefferson’s plantation and saw the bible he created after cutting out the parts he did not like. I do not like the violence attributed to God in the bible, but I read it. That study sent me to deeper analysis with comparisons to the teachings of Jesus. I am still exploring that today, but I do not either cut it out and ignore it or swallow it wholesale as God’s way of being in the 21st century. I do wonder at times how much we humans substitute our way for God’s way. The key to me is understanding that Jesus embodies the Word of God, and that is the light by which I try to read.

Prayer: Lord, free us from the strangling nature of guilt while helping us seek your way and your truth through recognizing you as our Word. Amen.

*https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/guilt

** a gnawing distress arising from a sense of guilt for past wrongs (as injuries done to others)

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.

Plumbline of Righteousness

Living in the Spirit

July 6, 2021

Scripture Reading: Amos 7:7-15
This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. And the Lord said to me, ‘Amos, what do you see?’ And I said, ‘A plumbline.’ Then the Lord said,
‘See, I am setting a plumbline
   in the midst of my people Israel;
   I will never again pass them by;
the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate,
   and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste,
   and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.’

Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, ‘Amos has conspired against you in the very center of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said,
“Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
   and Israel must go into exile
   away from his land.”‘
And Amaziah said to Amos, ‘O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there; but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.’

Then Amos answered Amaziah, ‘I am no prophet, nor a prophet’s son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”

Amos’s description of the plumbline to illustrate how God sets the standards for our wholeness and well-being is very meaningful. Since early childhood, I have understood that if I did not stack my blocks in correct alignment, they would eventually fall. Common sense readily perceived by a child, however, often differs from our desires. Humans tend to what to have their cake and eat it, too. Amos was expelled from Israel because his warnings went against the leaders’ wishes.

When we read about idol worship in the Hebrew Bible, we envision people bowing down to statutes they have created, like the golden calf the Israelites built because Moses stayed on the mountain too long. I was shocked when I saw an actual golden calf made for a political rally on TV last year. I never knew what its purpose was. Unfortunately, the idols of our time are not usually that easy to identify. The more I search for the roots of evil in our world today, the more I see the truth in 1 Timothy 6:10: For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. They indeed may pierce themselves with pain, but the worst part of greed is it cannot exist without hurting others, too. Greed is the root of slavery and our unwillingness to increase the minimum wage to a living wage. Each time we ignore the plumbline of God’s righteousness, we move out of sync with it, and it will eventually suffer the consequences.

Prayer: Lord, help us see greed wherever it is invading our world. Grant us the courage to turn away from it as we work for a world that follows your righteousness and justice. 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.