Tag Archives: Justice

Looking Back; Moving Forward

Kingdom Building

November 4, 2019

Scripture Reading: Haggai 1:15b-2:9

In the second year of King Darius, in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say, Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts, according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. Haggai 2:1-5

Darius the Great (Darius I Hystaspes), c. 550–486 BCE. This historically known Darius was the third Persian emperor, and an important figure for Jews in the early Persian period because of his role in the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem*.

Do we remember who we are and from where we came? That is the question Haggai had for the Israelites. Following their exile to Babylon, the Israelites returned to their homeland to rebuild it. I have driven by what we call ghost towns in Oklahoma, long deserted, lifeless with buildings in various stages of decay. The Israelites were believed to be in Babylon for 70 years. It would be surprising if there were any adults left who were adults in Jerusalem before the exile. Children who survived the whole ordeal might have some memory of grand buildings but nothing like what they found on their return. Haggai apparently thought it would be helpful for the people to recall what they once were, enabling them to envision what they could become.

This is a very important scripture for the world today. We too are considering the question: Do we remember who we are and from where we came? Our question seeks a two-prong answer one related to who we are and from where we came as people of faith and as citizens of the USA. Many of our country’s founders came here seeking religious freedom. It was for that very reason that our Constitution’s first amendment provides that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

As we move into our upcoming election season, we would be wise to look back at our history and the hard fought rights established while we consider our future in faith and in governance.

Prayer: God open our minds to remember what is just and what is right. Amen.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darius_the_Mede#Historical_and_literary_background

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.

Saving the Lost

Kingdom Building

November 3, 2019

Scripture Reading: Luke 19:1-10

When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.’ So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, ‘He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.’ Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.’ –Luke 19:5-10

Jesus came to seek out and to save the lost. Jesus sent us forth to do the same thing. The Greek word, apollumi*, translated her as lost has a more dire meaning then we may consider is assigned to the word lost. Apollumi means to destroy, destroy utterly and may be used to mean perishing. Think of the lost sheep that the shepherd leaves his or her 99 other sheep to find. A lone sheep is much more vulnerable than a flock of sheep.

We are called to walk beside those who are lost who cannot seem to find their way or who have strayed from the way of love. I learned a long time ago that there is no magic wand to wave to save people from themselves or the oppression of others. I think sometimes because the stories in the gospels of Jesus’ healings are of necessity truncated reports that we want to fix people just as quickly. Life as the Body of Christ in the world today does not work like that. I remember preparing to testify in court about a child abuse case. I had a rather thick file at my desk that recorded several years of problems with the family. Because of the nature of the case, I went to the filling cabinet and checked for additional information. I found two more equally full files that covered three generations of background on the family. While that might be daunting at first glance, I discovered family members through all three folders who had escaped the prison of poverty and abuse and were living productive lives raising healthy families.

The example provided in the scripture above describes the other end of the spectrum of life, people who seem to have it all. The wealthy who are deemed successful can be just as lost as the poor and oppressed. In some cases, the wealthy and successful may have greater problems because they may be contributing to people being poor and oppressed. Clearly that was the case with Zacchaeus. The story does not tell how long Zacchaeus had been overhearing the gospel shared by Jesus or what peaked his interest or why it was so important for him to hear more. Clearly, something got his attention, changed his life forever, and changed the lives of all those from whom he collected taxes.

Prayer: God of Mercy and of Justice, connect us through your Spirit to be conduits of helping the lost to find their way home. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/622.htm

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.

Seeing Injustice

Kingdom Building

October 28, 2019

Scripture Reading: Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4

The oracle that the prophet Habakkuk saw.
O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
   and you will not listen?
Or cry to you ‘Violence!’
   and you will not save?
Why do you make me see wrongdoing
   and look at trouble?
Destruction and violence are before me;
   strife and contention arise.
So the law becomes slack
   and justice never prevails.
The wicked surround the righteous—
   therefore judgement comes forth perverted. –Habakkuk 1:1-4

Why do you make me see wrongdoing and look at trouble? I have wondered this very question and would add “that others do not see.” I attended college from 1965 to 1969 where I was caught up in the civil rights movement and the Vietnam war. Fast forward some 20 years in a church small group and I was surprise to hear from people my same age who attended college at the same time who truly did not know anything about the civil rights activities and their only concern about the Vietnam war was that their student deferments remained in place. They enjoyed the normal college experiences of football games and staying up all night to finish a paper and meeting a future spouse and beer parties. I must tell you I long for a world where the worst thing that might happen to me or anyone else is that I might not get a paper in on time. Before that world can become reality, we must enact justice throughout the world we live in now.

So, what is justice? If we cannot define justice, it will never prevail. If we cannot see injustice, we can never define justice. Confining our lives to seeing only what is comfortable and safe for us will not lead to justice. I grew up in a small rural homogenous community. May introduction to the outside world was through books and it remains a primary source of learning about the world in which we live. I was also raised by news junkies. My parents watched TV news morning, evening, and night and read the daily paper which always arrived a day late to the farm because it came through the US Mail. I realize keeping up with the news is a challenge in these days of 24/7 reporting and accusations of “fake news” with concerns that indeed foreign countries may be posting unsubstantiated information on the media. Looking at more than one source helps.

Reading books or watching the news is not unlike reading the Bible. If we only listen to the parts that support the beliefs, we already hold we may miss the injustice all around us.

Prayer: Lord, open our eyes to the injustice in our world and our hearts to finding ways to correct it. 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.

Theology of Hunger

Kingdom Building

October 21, 2019

Scripture Reading: Joel 2:23-32

You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,

   and praise the name of the Lord your God,

   who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame.

You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,

   and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other.

And my people shall never again

   be put to shame. –Joel 2:26-27

How many of you reading this know there is not enough food in your home to feed your family today? How many of you have children who are on the federal free and reduced cost lunch program at school? How many could not feed your family, if you did not participate in the food stamp program? Hunger in the USA is an out of sight out of mind problem. Many of us can read the above scripture and not identify at all with praising God for the simple fact that we had enough to eat today. Probably many of us are trying to cut down on the amount of food we eat because we have put on a few pounds over the past few months. Is hunger to us a problem only in third world countries?

In 2017, 40 million people struggled with hunger in the United States. The USDA defines “food insecurity” as the lack of access, at times, to enough food for all household members. In 2017, an estimated 15 million households were food insecure. … 1 in 6 American children may not know where their next meal is coming from*.

The Oklahoma City school system got permission from the federal government this year to recognize all its students as food insecure and thus quality for the free and reduced lunch program. Our local food bank has a program where they provide backpacks of food for children to take home from school over the weekend because it was determined that the school lunch program was their primary, if not only, source of food.

The theology of hunger is at the heart of understanding the mindset of the prophetic writings in the Hebrew Bible and the teachings of the one called Jesus who we now know as the Christ. We have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the USA in history. We apparently have many working poor. As followers of Christ, we are called to feed the hungry. That certainly can be done directly through food pantries and governmental programs. The long-term solution is to assure that all who work be paid a living wage.

Prayer: Lord enable us to advocate for ways that all who work can receive a living wage. Amen.

*https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-hunger-us#targetText=In%202017%2C%2040%20million%20people,million%20households%20were%20food%20insecure.&targetText=1%20in%206%20American%20children,next%20meal%20is%20coming%20from.

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.

Laws Guide Us

Kingdom Building

October 16, 2019

Scripture Reading: Psalm 119:97-104
Oh, how I love your law!
   It is my meditation all day long.
Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
   for it is always with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers,
   for your decrees are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged,
   for I keep your precepts.
I hold back my feet from every evil way,
   in order to keep your word.
I do not turn away from your ordinances,
   for you have taught me.
How sweet are your words to my taste,
   sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through your precepts I get understanding;
   therefore I hate every false way.

I drove over 3,000 miles on a road trip this summer. Occasionally, I would turn onto a highway where I did not see a speed limit sign for miles. In some places, I drove long distances without seeing another truck or car. In other places, vehicles surrounded me, but it was impossible to ascertain the speed limit because some drivers were sailing by me while others were driving more slowly. It was a relief to finally see that familiar road sign that stated the speed limit. When I am in familiar places, I usually know the speed limit and do not have to think about it.

God’s laws provide helpful guidance for moving through life productively. I probably heard as a child at some point that breaking God’s laws led to an eternity of fire and brimstone, but that idea never really stuck to me. What I did incorporate was that God’s laws, particularly the Ten Commandments, were proven ways of being that made my relationship with God and with others work. Failure to adapt to the laws made life a whole lot more complicated and unpleasant. I also learned at an early age that one had to pay the consequences of his or her behavior and laws like loving our neighbor as we love ourselves was a short cut to avoiding bad consequences. Many of the laws in the Hebrew Bible are what we call civil law today and relate to things like the traffic example above. Others are etiquette rules. Both civil laws and etiquette rules change over time as the world changes. Jesus made it easier for all of us when he said,  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matthew 22:37-40)

Prayer: Thank you for giving us guidance in living life that is made abundant with 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.

Healing the Sick

Kingdom Building

October 12, 2019

Scripture Reading: Luke 17:11-19

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’

Oklahoma was ranked 48th in United Health Foundation’s 2019 America’s Health Rankings Health of Women and Children Report.

Jesus was a healer. He understood to impact of good health on all aspects of a person’s life. Yet I live in a state, described to be part of the Bible belt, where health care outcomes trend downward.  Part of that trend is related to behavior, part to lack of health care services in city service deserts and in rural areas where some must drive many miles to find the nearest hospital to have a baby or treat an accident victim or provide immediate care for a stroke victim.

Some people cannot afford health care. Oklahoma chose not to participate in the Medicaid expansion part of the Affordable Care Act leaving many adults with low incomes without insurance. Even those who are lucky enough to have insurance or Medicare cannot afford the copays required. The cost of health care is unknown. Of course, that is impossible. What is charged for health care should be somehow related to the actual cost of health care, but it is not because the actual cost is not calculated. Drugs are priced at the highest rate for profit the market can bear. That might work for diamond rings, it does not work for insulin necessary to sustain life.

If we are to model our lives after Jesus, are we called to be healers too? If so, how do we do that in the modern world where lepers are no longer shunned in the streets. but many homeless people are? As followers of God we are called to do justice, there is no other area of advocacy more important than bringing the cost of health care down and increasing the number of people who can access it.

Prayer: Lord, help us become advocates for quality, affordable, accessible health care. 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.

General Welfare

Kingdom Building

October 8, 2019

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

Even in exile the best thing for our group and every other group is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Think about that. God’s wisdom of loving our neighbors, even if they are aliens to us or we are aliens to them in the long run is better for all. Living as normal a life as possible even in oppression is the right thing to do.

People of color know this reality. Young black men taught to open doors for ladies often end up watching white ladies clasp their purses tighter, perhaps move them to the opposite side of their bodies and tuck them closely under their arms when they enter that door being held for them.

I am not suggesting God is saying be docile, go along to get along. God is always the God of justice. What I am saying is we must never let the negative actions of others change who we are. Perhaps, our positive actions can change through sharing the love of God those who oppress. God is a God of community. Working for the rights of all protects our rights and provides for a much better world.

Prayer: God enable us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves all the time. Amen.

*http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/democracy

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.

Loving Others in the Bad Times

Kingdom Building

October 7, 2019

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

Even in exile the best thing for our group and every other group is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Think about that. God’s wisdom of loving our neighbors, even if they are aliens to us or we are aliens to them in the long run is better for all. Living as normal a life as possible even in oppression is the right thing to do.

People of color know this reality. Young black men taught to open doors for ladies often end up watching white ladies clasp their purses tighter, perhaps move them to the opposite side of their bodies and tuck them closely under their arms when they enter that door being held for them.

I am not suggesting God is saying be docile, go along to get along. God is always the God of justice. What I am saying is we must never let the negative actions of others change who we are and perhaps our positive actions can change those who oppress through sharing the love of God. God is a God of community. Working for the rights of all protects our rights and provides for a much better world.

Prayer: God enable us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves all the times. 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.

Grace and Faith

Kingdom Building

October 6, 2019

Scripture Reading: Luke 17:5-10

‘Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from ploughing or tending sheep in the field, “Come here at once and take your place at the table”? Would you not rather say to him, “Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink”? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, “We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!”’ –Luke 17:7-10

Besides running our farm my dad pumped oil wells as a side job and was a custom hay bailer, all dirty jobs. Combine them and the grim gets worse. Hay bailing is summer work so add hot Oklahoma summers to that formula. Dad and my brother worked together most of the time, but it was not unusual for a neighbor or a neighbor’s son to work with them when the demands of the job required it. Our big meal of the day was dinner at noon. My mother, sister, and I spent most of the morning preparing that meal which required gardening, gathering eggs, feeding chickens, and milking cows. Part of the ritual when the men came in from the field was pumping buckets of water from the old hand pump that still worked in front of our house for the guys to clean up and cool down as much as possible before they came inside to eat. There was no order of privilege at the table as described in the scripture above.

Luke is describing reality in first century Judean and Galilee where slavery was still present even for the small farmer. This scripture is a continuation of a discussion on grace, God’s grace which cannot be earned. The scripture also continues the discourse on faith which is also described as a gift.

Christ’s call to us is not of this world where privilege exist, and worth is based on the standards of the culture in which one finds themselves. Christ’s call, the call to base all measures of value on love comes packed with the gifts of faith and grace to sustain us. We need nothing else. If we are called to bale hay, we do it the very best way we can. If we are called to gather eggs, we try never to drop any. If we are called to do justice and show mercy, we do them using the gifts of faith and grace freely provided for us. When we recognize that we are no better and no worse than anyone else, we can truly begin to love like Jesus.

Prayer: Thank you for the gifts of faith and grace, Lord. Help us to live lives worthy of your 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.

What’s Next?

Kingdom Building

October 2, 2019

Scripture Reading:
Psalm 137

By the rivers of Babylon—   there we sat down and there we wept
   when we remembered Zion.
On the willows there
   we hung up our harps.
For there our captors
   asked us for songs,
and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,
   ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’ –Psalm 137:1-3

I feel we are caught in a political tornado where the real issues of providing for the Common Good are buried deep under piles of distraction. Funny, I have begun to picture what the world will look like after the storm, and the rebuilding begins. Spending at least 20 years of my life coordinating planning for a large human service agency most likely ingrained planning for the future in my being. The Psalm above indicates the wishful thinking of its author and some fellow exiles taking a few minutes playing their harps by a river remembering their homeland, Israel, when the locals tormented and taunted them.

I do believe we need to live in the now, be present in whatever situation we may find ourselves seeks facts to drive our decision amid the propaganda as we seek to do justice. My experience tells me that a reckoning will come, and the trash will be swept away, and we will start rebuilding.

I attended a public meeting regarding mental health services yesterday and was pleased to hear the progress that is being made in discovering new treatments that are promising and that we are providing preventive service starting at early ages. The bad news is that one out of four Oklahomans need some type of mental health service and we are only able to serve one out of three of those who need help.

These distractions in our world serve a purpose. They slow or stop progress and support the maintenance of the status quo where the rich get richer and the rest of us muddle through the best we can. At this public meeting, I also heard once again the suicide rate in the USA doubled in ten years for persons between the ages of 25 and 65. We can do better than that.

Prayer: Lord we need you to see us through the times of chaos but help us use that time to find better ways of loving each other for the Common Good. 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.