Tag Archives: Justice

God as Parent

Living in the Spirit

June 1, 2021

Scripture Reading: Genesis 3:8-15
They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ He said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’ The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.’ Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent tricked me, and I ate.’ The Lord God said to the serpent,

‘Because you have done this,

   cursed are you among all animals

   and among all wild creatures;

upon your belly you shall go,

   and dust you shall eat

   all the days of your life.

I will put enmity between you and the woman,

   and between your offspring and hers;

he will strike your head,

   and you will strike his heel.’

God as a parent is the oldest story in the Bible, yet, we tend to turn quickly from God as a loving parent to the God of wrath who punishes us for our sins. We all find ourselves in the story above. At times we are the caretaker giving the instructions and, at other times, the child trying to hide a failure to follow them. Part of maturation is the development of the self. We get a lot of bumps and bruises making that journey. We test the wisdom of our parents as that prepares us to test the integrity of all future influences in life. Parenting involves helping children discern the difference between right and wrong and how to manage the gray in between.

I find it interesting that God takes wrath out on the serpent who tricked Adam and Eve into disobedience in the above-quoted part of the story.  Woe to those who try to mislead and entice God’s children away from righteousness.

Prayer: Lord, guide us as we grow in wisdom and truth and as we work to transmit what we learn, in not only our words but our actions, toward others. 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.

Caught between Flesh and Spirit

Living in the Spirit

May 28, 2021

Scripture Reading:

Romans 8:12-17
So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

We live in an age of paradox. Many seem to have no control over “the flesh”—anything of the world. I do not want to read another story or hear another news report about people of power—politicians or the wealthy or celebrities or clergy who are caught in adultery or some sexual deviance, even sex trafficking of children. Some of those same people want to control every aspect of the lives of others on issues they may have created by locking people into poverty, limiting their educational opportunities, and ignoring their health care. Jesus called them hypocrites.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practise what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. . . . ‘But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in, you stop them. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. (Matthew 23:1-4, 13-15)

Those caught in the middle between self-righteousness and injustice are called to address such hypocrisy or become a part of the problem.

Prayer: Lord, make us doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves*. Amen.

*From James 1:22

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 in the Spirit

Greed vs Love

May 25, 2021

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.’
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’ –Isaiah 6:1-5

Where is love?
Does it fall from skies above?
Is it underneath the willow tree
That I’ve been dreaming of?*

The orphan Oliver is cast out of the orphanage into a frightening world where he feels no one cares what happens to him. I sense that many of us may be feeling that way about our relationship with God. The last year has not been easy. Loved ones were gravely ill; others died. Work and earning a living were turned upside down. Some switched from an office to a computer at home and never lost any income. Others lost their jobs. Children fell behind in their learning, and many parents found themselves staying home from work not only to care for their children but to be their teachers, too. As an active retiree, I felt relatively worthless during those first few months of the pandemic when the best help I could give was to stay home, wear a mask, and socially distance. If God indeed is love, then where is love in times like these?

When I read the above scripture, I thought of Oliver in the first stages of shock from feeling he was without anyone who cared about whether he lived or died. And, yes, I too think that was a rather odd reaction to this scripture. After pondering, I do no longer think it is strange. Isaiah saw the need for change in his people’s ways of being because of the situation in which they found themselves. They were a tribe of people who Keep listening, but do not comprehend** Jesus quoted this scripture in Matthew 13:13, and it describes us today.

We live in a world where the rich are getting richer, as the number of people grows who do not have enough resources to meet basic needs. That does not reflect a world ruled by God’s love. It does mirror a people putting greed over God.  Exile was where the Israelites landed. Where are we headed?

Denial of the need to correct our courses is a typical reaction. Being bound in that attitude only makes matters worse. Seeking God’s guidance, listening, hearing, and restoring our commitment to God’s plan is the path to fulfilling God’s vision of a Kingdom ruled by love.

Prayer: Lord, open our ears to hear your wisdom and give us the courage to follow it. Amen.

*Lines from musical Oliver from the song Where is Love?  See at https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/3270758/Mark+Lester/Where+Is+Love%3F+%5BFrom+Oliver%21%5D
**From Isaiah 6:9

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.

Called By the Spirit

Pentecost

May 23, 2021

Scripture Reading: Acts 2:1-21

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’ –Acts 2:1-13

The coming of the Holy Spirit was one of those events where one had to be there to describe what happened. Even with in-person witnesses, it was hard to explain. The event got the message across to Peter that the time had come to take the message of Jesus Christ to the whole world. What better means to do that than to have a large crowd of people who spoke various languages understand what Peter was saying. These people were sent home with curiosity to pave the way for the Disciples’ ministry. It also gave the Disciples courage to step out into strange lands, knowing that God would find a way for them to communicate God’s love.

We are called to share the love of God with the whole world still today. The world as a whole certainly needs to understand the power of God’s love. We are caught in a difficult time filled with people who have more than they need and people who do not have enough to meet their basic needs. The percent of people in the USA today who identify as Christians has dropped steadily for several years. Some Christians are caught in as much greed and lust for power as the non-faith-based populations in the USA. Other parts of the world are in a far worse condition where greater numbers of God’s children are dying from starvation or being killed by the ravages of terrorists.

How are we answering the call to love God and love like Jesus? Are we feeding the hungry, providing safe water for the thirsty, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, restoring the prisoner, and welcoming the stranger?

Prayer: Lord, visit us once again with the strength of your Spirit to help us know we can love as you love and address the needs of all your children everywhere. 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.

Calling God a Liar

Eastertide

May 13, 2021

Scripture Reading:
1 John 5:9-13
If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son. Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

When did truth become only that which is advantageous to me personally or to my chosen people? When did truth become clay to be strategically molded to selfish desires? Why would we ever have the audacity to make God a liar? Yet, we do it all the time when we do not live in God’s ways that were specifically designed to protect our wellbeing as God’s children.

Truth is on trial in the USA. Someone forwarded me a social media post recently that was headed The Fact. I read through the paragraph, which contained very few comments that met the definition of being a fact. It was a listing of the author’s opinions on various issues, which she certainly had the right to express. She ended the piece by saying something to the effect that if the reader cannot accept The Fact that she professed they needed to move to another country. We live in a world that if lies are repeated enough, people start to think they are true. In his book The Emperor’s New Clothing, Hans Christian Andersen taught me that when I was a child. I hope his work is still being read. It would be a good book for parents to share with their children. Here is the plot as summarized by Wikipedia:

Two swindlers arrive at the capital city of an emperor who spends lavishly on clothing at the expense of state matters. Posing as weavers, they offer to supply him with magnificent clothes that are invisible to those who are stupid or incompetent. The emperor hires them, and they set up looms and go to work. A succession of officials, and then the emperor himself, visit them to check their progress. Each sees that the looms are empty but pretends otherwise to avoid being thought a fool. Finally, the weavers report that the emperor’s suit is finished. They mime-dressing him and he sets off in a procession before the whole city. The townsfolk uncomfortably go along with the pretense, not wanting to appear inept or stupid, until a child blurts out that the emperor is wearing nothing at all. The people then realize that everyone has been fooled. Although startled, the emperor continues the procession, walking more proudly than ever*.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we identify lesser gods to follow that are not in our best interest or the best interest of all those we are called to love. Amen.

* Wikipedia’s plot summary of the The Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen see at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emperor%27s_New_Clothes

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.

Voting

Eastertide

May 11, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred and twenty people) and said, ‘Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus— for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.’

So one of the men who have accompanied us throughout the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.’ So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed and said, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.’ And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

The right to vote and control of who can vote is all over the news right now. Voting is essential for a democracy to be a democracy. We should never take it lightly. In 2020, I voted for the first time by mail because of COVID, and I must say I was a better-informed voter.

I could not miss the significant candidates and questions. They were constantly on my TV and in my mailbox. I had not paid much attention to the two men running for county sheriff or reviewing the city charter changes. It was not hard to do. I checked the sheriff candidates’ credentials and studied the charter changes. Had I stood in line for and hours or more in the June heat, having not done my homework, I would have grabbed my ballet completed the easy parts, and most likely skipped voting for a new sheriff or expressing my opinion on the city charter issues.

I did a study a few years ago about voting participation and discovered that less than half of registered voters in Oklahoma voted most years. This count did not include those who were eligible to vote but did not register. The result was that none of our elected officials won by a majority of legal voters. Truth is political parties, and people supporting specific issues only what the people to vote who will select their candidate or cause.

We, the people, must control voting. I think everyone should be required to register to vote at the age of eighteen, just like we require people to register for the draft. I also think Australia may be on to something. In Australia, if one does not vote and does not provide a good reason for failing to vote, they pay a fine. That is a little scary to consider. We might have to improve the quality of our education system so young people learn the responsibility they have as citizens.

People of faith have another consideration. We must consider our moral obligations as a citizen and do our part in assuring that our elected officials consider what is right and wrong for their constituents when making decisions, not what is best for their party or their wealthy donors or their personal wealth.

Prayer: God of Justice, help us strive for righteousness and justice in meeting our obligations as citizens. Amen.

Privilege and Justice

Eastertide

May 4, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Acts 10:44-48

While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, ‘Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

Welcoming gentiles as followers of Christ was a culturally challenging part of the early church. In the scripture above, Peter identifies the gift of the Holy Spirit as God’s sign that the gentiles should be accepted. Who do we cast as outside God’s love, and how do we open our hearts to all God’s children?

As we arise from the savagery of COVID, I find myself to be short on patience and restless. I wonder if others feel the same. The people I observe via media seem eager to get back to what they deem normal. My impatience is targeted at all the injustice that the virus revealed, and my restless response is to wonder why we are not moving faster to restore not what to us is expected but wholeness to our fractured world. Our former normal did not and will not address justice issues.

I have been attending a class on White Privilege, and it dawned on me as I listened to the discussion that there is no justice in privilege. We often use the term underprivileged to describe poverty, lack of a good education, or loss of hope. There is nothing normal between the privileged and underprivileged. Our society tracks many measures of success by the percentile they are above, at, or below norms. There is no identified “at” related to privilege. I believe the “at” of privilege must be justice.

In our society, we stumble about measuring poverty with antiquated tools to find its impact on our world. Do we measure poverty to determine at what point it negatively impacts privilege? How do we measure privilege and its effects on the society? Is it as essential to get a handle on privilege to bring about justice as it is to address the underprivileged? At what point does justice end and privilege begin, and who gets hurt in the process?

Prayer: God of Justice, send your Spirit to show us how to wedge justice into our consideration of the impacts of privilege in our world today. 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.

Who is In, Who is Out

Eastertide

May 3, 2021

Scripture Reading: Acts 10:44-48
While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, ‘Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

Who is in, and who is out? Humans spend a lot of time discerning who is accepted and who is not. I watch grieving parents on TV recently whose son was going through the fraternity rites of becoming one of those considered acceptable. He was forced, cajoled into drinking too much hard liquor in too short a time, and died. The fraternity has been banned from the school, and eight young men face criminal charges for the incident.

Athletes at a local faith-based university knelt in solidarity against racism during the presentation of the US National anthem, and the school banned them from ever doing it again. The whole campus is now caught up in discerning who is right and who is wrong. Who sets the standards of acceptable behavior?

For weeks, I cannot recall a morning when the lead story on the news was not someone being shot overnight in Oklahoma City, many killed, many teens and young adults as our nation struggles regarding the right to possess weapons. What legacy are we passing to our children?

Peter was speaking to a crowd of both Gentiles and Jews about the living Christ, the One who came to teach all how to love and care for one another.  We are called to accept all of God’s people, and all people are God’s. It is hard to change cultural norms. We all have been taught directly and indirectly that some are in and some are out. This story of Peter’s speaking does not leave it to him to tell us who God accepts. The Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. God has spoken now; we humans must clear our hearts and minds of all those prejudices that are so much a part of our being. although we do not recognize them as pre-judgments. God calls us to love one another and that requires us to find common ground for the Common Good.

Prayer: Create in us a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within us*.  Amen.

*See 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.

Addressing Poverty

Eastertidei

April 22, 2021

Scripture Reading: 1 John 3:16-24
We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?

Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.

And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?

How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? What are our biases? Do we think when Jesus said the poor will always be with us* he felt that is the way it should be or was he stating a need to alter our priorities for a time? A reading of Matthew 25:34-36 indicates God calls us to alleviate the problems caused by poverty. It is most likely true that society will always have some with more wealth than others and that the poor describes those on the bottom rung of the wealth ladder. Our society seems to relate poverty, not having enough of the necessities of life and no hope of attaining them, to being poor. They are not the same thing. Some people choose to live frugally because worshipping wealth has its own evils to address. Proverbs 10:15 states, The wealth of the rich is their fortress; the poverty of the poor is their ruin. I hear in today’s world that many families are just one major illness or catasrophy away from financial ruin. That is not only true of the poor but also the middle class and the wealthy.

I think 1 John above tells us that everyone needs to have enough of the necessities of life and that we have some responsibility in making sure that happens. That indeed may take the role of literally feeding and clothing people. It may also include advocating for fair and just treatment of all people.

Prayer: Lord, help us to see a brother or sister in need and not refuse to care for them.  Amen.

*See Mark 14:7

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.

Reality-Equality-Equity-Justice

Eastertide

April 19, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Acts 4:5-12
The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, ‘By what power or by what name did you do this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. This Jesus is
“the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;
   it has become the cornerstone.”
There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.’

Good health is a luxury for those who cannot afford medical care or food or clean water or time for rest. We were created as an interdependent world where the well-being of one raises the well-being of all. During the COVID pandemic, we see the disproportionately negative impact the virus has had on those who fundamentally enable others to continue their routines—shop clerks, bus drivers, janitors, and sadly grave diggers. We must recognize and correct the inequities in our society, assure that all have access to affordable quality health care, and earn a living wage. In times such as these, our call to do justice echoes throughout the land.

O Christ, the healer, we have come
to pray for health, to plead for friends.
How can we fail to be restored
when reached by love that never ends?

In conflicts that destroy our health,
we diagnose the world’s disease;
our common life declares our ills:
is there no cure, O Christ, for these?

Grant that we all, made one in faith,
in your community may find
the wholeness that, enriching us,
shall reach the whole of humankind.*

Prayer: O Christ help us become healers as we do justice for all your people. Amen.

*First, fourth, and fifth verses of O Christ, the Healer by Fred Pratt Green see at https://hymnary.org/text/o_christ_the_healer_we_have_come

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.