Tag Archives: Systemic Change

The Bigger Picture

Living in the Spirit

November 13, 2021

Scripture Reading: Mark 13:1-8

As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!’ Then Jesus asked him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’

When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?’ Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, “I am he!” and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

Living in what is dubbed “Tornado Alley” all my life, I have learned that all buildings are vulnerable. While I have never seen the temple wall in Jerusalem, I have seen the ruins of other great cities. Jesus cautioned his disciples against putting their faith in stones and what they represent. Instead, he called us to trust in the God who created the earth and all that is in it. The tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma, on May 3, 1999, was classified as an F5 (greater than 200 mph) and 8/10th of a mile wide. Driving by the devastation in its wake brought close the impact on all involved. However, seeing the view from the air was unbelievable. There was nothing left on a broad span of the neighborhood hit, except lengths of concrete driveways and parts of foundations. The Jerusalem temple was destroyed by war, which most likely occurred about the same time the book of Mark was written.

Jesus shared the big picture with his disciples. He wants us to grasp that the challenges of everyday life are impacted by the decisions we made in the past and daily. Yes, we need to feed the hungry now, clothe the naked, provide water for the thirsty, care for the sick, restore the prisoner, and welcome the stranger in real-time. However, it is just as vital that we address the ways of our world that cause systemic problems. For example, ending poverty would allow those who are hungry to buy their food. Removing the lead from water pipes makes water safe to drink and prevents severe impacts on children. Improving our immigration laws would make routine the hiring of needed seasonal workers. Working to stabilize countries in economic distress would allow people to thrive in their homeland, reducing refugees’ influx.

None of the prophets who correctly predicted the failure of nations wanted their predictions to come true, including Jesus. Just the opposite, they hoped to prevent what was evident to them. That is still true today.

Prayer: God of Justice, open our hearts and minds to see the harm we do to ourselves and others as the idols of our world distract us from following your warnings. 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 Just Nation

Living in the Spirit

November 7, 2021

Scripture Reading: John 11:32-44

Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead for four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upwards and said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.’ When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’ John 11:38-42

Soon after I graduated from college and started my first job as a social worker, I participated in a Bible study based on the story of the raising of Lazarus. We explored the question was our faith dead or alive? Did our faith need to be unbound and let go? If so, where was it leading us? This was a good time in my life to consider, as a young adult, how I would live my faith. I am a cradle Christian who never experienced life without being a part of a Christian community of faith.  I attended a Christian College. I accepted Jesus as my Savior as a youth.  But the time had come for me to choose how to live my faith beyond the influence of family and the church’s culture. My life experiences discerning how my faith defined me coincided with my first experiences as a social worker providing direct services. I only spent two years working directly with the poor and families caught in the child welfare system. While I spent 33 years more working in social work administration, those prior two years provided me with a lifetime of lessons in the need to do justice and see that the world’s systemic ways must be addressed for justice to be realized.  Jesus was very clear about our need to address such issues.

While we readily think that we are the most powerful nation globally, we fail to see if that were true that could classify us as what the Bible calls an empire. The question with which we must struggle is whether there can be justice within an empire. Unfortunately, history does not give us much hope for that. Greed and lust for power have overtaken most empires. Can our faith in God unbind us from these snares of empire?

Prayer: Lord, Paul tells us that faith, hope, and love abides and the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13). Fill us with your love, renew our hope, strengthen our faith toward building a world ruled by 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.