We continue a brief walk with some material on reconciliation by Walter Wink.
We expect evildoers to repent and seek forgiveness. Jesus, however reversed all that. He declared to an incredulous world that could not finally accept it, that God already forgives us, whether we ask for it or not, whether we like it or not. We can repent, in fact, precisely because God has already forgiven us. The gospel declares to us, You are forgiven! Now you can repent! “The kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news” (Mark 1:15). It is because God already loves us that we can dare to approach God. God accepts us as we are; the prodigal son’s father runs to greet him and receives him back as son. God, moreover, makes no exceptions: whether we are able to forgive or not, God does, and this applies even to Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot.
I wasn’t going to include the last three names - as the whole notion of God forgiving us whether we like it or not is too much for most people to handle in the first place. Then again, adding the names Wink uses throws the ballpark wide open and we really need to take a moment to grasp the wideness of God’s actions that are not at all dependent on what we think of them. The power of God’s forgiveness and love is the power that pulls us home. The love and grace and forgiveness are there…just like the father of the prodigal son…always there…always available. To repent is to come home to what is there – a promise so wide and gracious that many cannot and will not let themselves run home and be grasped by its life-giving power. We can become so caught up in wanting to evaluate whether another person is worthy of such a gift that we often do not live within the gift ourselves. Everyone likes to be a gatekeeper at times…but none are needed if the gate is kept wide open by the only one who has the ability to welcome us home.
Connection: Remember, it is not too hard to understand why people were upset with Jesus’ radical notion of the grace of God and the life within the Reign of God. Look how upset we can become when such a notion of forgiveness and grace is laid on the table in front of us this day.
Gracious God, lead us home by the power of your love. Your promise of new life goes against everything we have come to accept as a way to make ourselves right with ourselves, our world, our family, and You. Empower us to trust in your promise this day. Amen.
Thursday, July 31, 2003
Wednesday, July 30, 2003
Thursday, 31 July, 2003
We continue a brief walk with some material on reconciliation by Walter Wink.
When thinking about some of the most heinous crimes in our history it is difficult to speak of forgiveness. Wink writes:
Christians, however, are confronted in such cases not with the limits of our feelings (Is it possible for us to forgive?), but with the nature of the God revealed by Jesus. “For God makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends the rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous…Be all inclusive in your love, as you heavenly Father is all-inclusive” (Matthew 5:45,48, author’s translation). In short, God is incapable of not forgiving, because it is God’s very nature to forgive.
There are so many places we will not let ourselves go because an act has causes such pain that it seems as though forgiveness would be beyond what we are able to imagine. But as Wink notes, we are not confronted “with the limits of our feelings, but with the nature of God revealed by Jesus.” That is our saving grace. This is very important for us to remember even as we approach what we are calling the tough issues of our day. Our own feelings are not what lead us. The Christ of God leads us and that leading takes on the shape of abundant forgiveness and renewal of life and transformation that cannot be predicted nor directed. We pray that by the power of the Holy Spirit, our living will reflect the gracious otherness of God so that such grace will manifest itself right here just as it did with Jesus.
Connection: We do not run our lives within the Reign of God by our feelings. Otherwise, we would be killing one another and that kind of living would be okay. Today is an opportunity to walk according to the light of the graciousness of our God who brings life to a new and everlasting beauty.
Lord, we may looking for ways for the world to go as we would like it to go but you continue to call us to look up and see the grand view of your Reign and the life that begins to blossom as we walk in the land of forgiveness and hopefulness. Walk with us this day, O Lord. Amen.
When thinking about some of the most heinous crimes in our history it is difficult to speak of forgiveness. Wink writes:
Christians, however, are confronted in such cases not with the limits of our feelings (Is it possible for us to forgive?), but with the nature of the God revealed by Jesus. “For God makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends the rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous…Be all inclusive in your love, as you heavenly Father is all-inclusive” (Matthew 5:45,48, author’s translation). In short, God is incapable of not forgiving, because it is God’s very nature to forgive.
There are so many places we will not let ourselves go because an act has causes such pain that it seems as though forgiveness would be beyond what we are able to imagine. But as Wink notes, we are not confronted “with the limits of our feelings, but with the nature of God revealed by Jesus.” That is our saving grace. This is very important for us to remember even as we approach what we are calling the tough issues of our day. Our own feelings are not what lead us. The Christ of God leads us and that leading takes on the shape of abundant forgiveness and renewal of life and transformation that cannot be predicted nor directed. We pray that by the power of the Holy Spirit, our living will reflect the gracious otherness of God so that such grace will manifest itself right here just as it did with Jesus.
Connection: We do not run our lives within the Reign of God by our feelings. Otherwise, we would be killing one another and that kind of living would be okay. Today is an opportunity to walk according to the light of the graciousness of our God who brings life to a new and everlasting beauty.
Lord, we may looking for ways for the world to go as we would like it to go but you continue to call us to look up and see the grand view of your Reign and the life that begins to blossom as we walk in the land of forgiveness and hopefulness. Walk with us this day, O Lord. Amen.
Tuesday, July 29, 2003
Wednesday, 30 July, 2003
We continue a brief walk with some material on reconciliation by Walter Wink.
In the final analysis, we forgive the enemy for the sake of the enemy’s own soul. The Greek term which is translated “to forgive” in the New Testament is aphiemi, “to let go, loose, set free, acquit, dismiss, remit.” Notice that the direction is all toward the other, not toward oneself. By forgiving we set the other free. How? By removing from her or his shoulders the burden of our enmity. We free the other to deal with God. It is now up to them to encounter the living God with their own sin and guilt. It is now no longer a matter that presses on us, but on the other and God.
Though Wink says that we are actually setting the other person free when we forgive, it is important to consider the position of the one who forgives. The one who forgives must be one who stands on the grace of God and is able to see him or her self as beloved by God and from that foundation the day and everything that goes on within it is seen through the eyes of God’s grace. In essence, I must see myself as full of a worth that cannot be damaged by any one…any one. Therefore, even though I may walk through the valley of darkness and feel as though I have been spit upon, I fear no one and I am free to engage the world – all of it – out of the reservoir of love that God continues to pour upon me…now…and always. Forgiveness then becomes a way to participate in that unconditional love that has the power to transform and renew the lives of all it touches. This is not an easy thing to consider. That is why we continue to pray: Come, Holy Spirit! Come!
Connection: Much of the radical adventure we enter as followers of Jesus is strengthened and given vision by our constant reflection of God’s love for us. It involves much reflection and prayer and is always followed by action in life.
Lord God, you set us free and call us to be a part of the liberating love that comes into the world for all people. Encourage us Lord, for it is not within the pattern of our lives to be loving even to the point of rescuing those we would rather let fall behind. Inspire us to walk in the light of your gracious Reign and find peace for ourselves and our world. Amen.
In the final analysis, we forgive the enemy for the sake of the enemy’s own soul. The Greek term which is translated “to forgive” in the New Testament is aphiemi, “to let go, loose, set free, acquit, dismiss, remit.” Notice that the direction is all toward the other, not toward oneself. By forgiving we set the other free. How? By removing from her or his shoulders the burden of our enmity. We free the other to deal with God. It is now up to them to encounter the living God with their own sin and guilt. It is now no longer a matter that presses on us, but on the other and God.
Though Wink says that we are actually setting the other person free when we forgive, it is important to consider the position of the one who forgives. The one who forgives must be one who stands on the grace of God and is able to see him or her self as beloved by God and from that foundation the day and everything that goes on within it is seen through the eyes of God’s grace. In essence, I must see myself as full of a worth that cannot be damaged by any one…any one. Therefore, even though I may walk through the valley of darkness and feel as though I have been spit upon, I fear no one and I am free to engage the world – all of it – out of the reservoir of love that God continues to pour upon me…now…and always. Forgiveness then becomes a way to participate in that unconditional love that has the power to transform and renew the lives of all it touches. This is not an easy thing to consider. That is why we continue to pray: Come, Holy Spirit! Come!
Connection: Much of the radical adventure we enter as followers of Jesus is strengthened and given vision by our constant reflection of God’s love for us. It involves much reflection and prayer and is always followed by action in life.
Lord God, you set us free and call us to be a part of the liberating love that comes into the world for all people. Encourage us Lord, for it is not within the pattern of our lives to be loving even to the point of rescuing those we would rather let fall behind. Inspire us to walk in the light of your gracious Reign and find peace for ourselves and our world. Amen.
Monday, July 28, 2003
Tuesday, 29 July, 2003
We continue a brief walk with some material on reconciliation by Walter Wink.
We must pray for the power to forgive so that we can reach across the divide that separates us from our enemies. Nonetheless, we are not bridge builders so much as bridge crossers, notes South African theologian Klaus Nurnburger. “The Bridge is already there – our Lord, who in His own Body of flesh and blood has broken down the enmity which stood like a dividing wall between us. He is the bridge over which we cross to each other, again and again.”
Maybe this is why the early church in the Book of Acts was called the Way. We move along the “way” that is already there. We go the way that Jesus has gone before us. By looking at the life of the Church as following this way, we are drawn more dramatically into the very heart of the life of reconciliation and grace. Now, we do not simply stand off and observe what Jesus has done and give thanks to God for what has taken place. Rather, because of what has taken place, we engage our world in the manner of the one who leads the way into the fullness of life within God’s Reign. The Bridge is built already.
Connection: The banner for today may just be these words of reminder: The Bridge is built already, let’s go for a walk!
As you open up the day for us, O God, open up our hearts and encourage us to step onto the bridge that leads to reconciliation and new life. Make the resurrection a reality within the many parts of our lives that lie dead in the tomb. Amen.
We must pray for the power to forgive so that we can reach across the divide that separates us from our enemies. Nonetheless, we are not bridge builders so much as bridge crossers, notes South African theologian Klaus Nurnburger. “The Bridge is already there – our Lord, who in His own Body of flesh and blood has broken down the enmity which stood like a dividing wall between us. He is the bridge over which we cross to each other, again and again.”
Maybe this is why the early church in the Book of Acts was called the Way. We move along the “way” that is already there. We go the way that Jesus has gone before us. By looking at the life of the Church as following this way, we are drawn more dramatically into the very heart of the life of reconciliation and grace. Now, we do not simply stand off and observe what Jesus has done and give thanks to God for what has taken place. Rather, because of what has taken place, we engage our world in the manner of the one who leads the way into the fullness of life within God’s Reign. The Bridge is built already.
Connection: The banner for today may just be these words of reminder: The Bridge is built already, let’s go for a walk!
As you open up the day for us, O God, open up our hearts and encourage us to step onto the bridge that leads to reconciliation and new life. Make the resurrection a reality within the many parts of our lives that lie dead in the tomb. Amen.
Monday, July 28, 2003
We continue a brief walk with some material on reconciliation by Walter Wink.
...the goal of forgiveness is always reconciliation. Moreover, reconciliation means, finally, reestablishing love between two or more estranged parties. Forgiveness for my own sake is selfish, narcissistic, and private. God calls us to forgive so that the walls of enmity can be torn down – between races, between sexes, between nations, between classes, between neighbors, between strangers, between family members, and friends.
This can be a hard thing to read. Hard because many times when we are at odds with another person or have broken a relationship, we do not want it repaired…we do not want there to be love reestablished. But within the domain of God’s Reign, and we claim to live there, forgiveness is the way of life among us. It is a strange way to live but it carries a promise of new life and resurrection that we have yet to experience. The walls of enmity as much as we would like to see them torn down really are quite a comfort to us…therefore; we are always called to remember our baptism….new life through death.
Connection: We start the work of forgiveness with the smallest things in our life. And yet, sometimes we take the leap and are able to build reconciled relationships even when there has been a great divide. Today is another opportunity to prayerfully seek the healing of our lives.
Lord of New Life, liberate our lives from the pain and sorrow and wounds that can control us and lead us more deeply into the same pain, sorrow and wounds that already hurt us so much. Liberate us and lead us to your promised land of forgiveness and hopefulness. Amen.
...the goal of forgiveness is always reconciliation. Moreover, reconciliation means, finally, reestablishing love between two or more estranged parties. Forgiveness for my own sake is selfish, narcissistic, and private. God calls us to forgive so that the walls of enmity can be torn down – between races, between sexes, between nations, between classes, between neighbors, between strangers, between family members, and friends.
This can be a hard thing to read. Hard because many times when we are at odds with another person or have broken a relationship, we do not want it repaired…we do not want there to be love reestablished. But within the domain of God’s Reign, and we claim to live there, forgiveness is the way of life among us. It is a strange way to live but it carries a promise of new life and resurrection that we have yet to experience. The walls of enmity as much as we would like to see them torn down really are quite a comfort to us…therefore; we are always called to remember our baptism….new life through death.
Connection: We start the work of forgiveness with the smallest things in our life. And yet, sometimes we take the leap and are able to build reconciled relationships even when there has been a great divide. Today is another opportunity to prayerfully seek the healing of our lives.
Lord of New Life, liberate our lives from the pain and sorrow and wounds that can control us and lead us more deeply into the same pain, sorrow and wounds that already hurt us so much. Liberate us and lead us to your promised land of forgiveness and hopefulness. Amen.
Friday, July 25, 2003
Friday, 25 July, 2003
We continue a brief walk with some material on reconciliation by Walter Wink.
Continuing the description of the South African pastor and forgiveness…
The summons to forgive came, as it were, from outside them, as a command of the gospel that they could not avoid. Much as they wanted to hold on to the desire for “sweet revenge,” they felt constrained by their commitment to the gospel to forgive. They could not not forgive, because they saw forgiveness as their fundamental obligation to God. They forgave, not for their own sakes, but for the sake of the other. They had to forgive the torturers because God had already done so, and was calling them to do the same.
As the Sermon on the Mount puts it, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”- not so that you can sleep better at night, or to avoid an ulcer, or to achieve peace of mind – but “so that you may be children of your heavenly Parent.” The incentive is the imitation of God.
As children of God we are given the character traits of the one who nurtures and calls and leads us into life by living the life we are invited to share. The image of God draws us into new life. There is no reason to live in such a way but that pull…that power of God to make the world new…to continue to re-create and make the world whole. This is not easy word to hear for it insists that we stop being who we want to be and let ourselves be the beloved that God calls us. The journey of belovedness is a strange beauty we cannot quite comprehend…and yet it bids us to come and be the gift God has made us to be.
Connection: This kind of life – forgiving – demands much prayer and people who can walk with us. It would be interesting for all of us to try and record the times during this day that we will not let ourselves “let go” and begin to see things in a new way.
O God of us all, you inspire us to forgive and it is often an act we would rather not enter for we can be so content to live within the grip of hatred when we are wronged or persecuted or hurt. Grant us the serenity needed to find life within your peace so that we can carry on and enter the new world you create for us each day. Amen.
Continuing the description of the South African pastor and forgiveness…
The summons to forgive came, as it were, from outside them, as a command of the gospel that they could not avoid. Much as they wanted to hold on to the desire for “sweet revenge,” they felt constrained by their commitment to the gospel to forgive. They could not not forgive, because they saw forgiveness as their fundamental obligation to God. They forgave, not for their own sakes, but for the sake of the other. They had to forgive the torturers because God had already done so, and was calling them to do the same.
As the Sermon on the Mount puts it, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”- not so that you can sleep better at night, or to avoid an ulcer, or to achieve peace of mind – but “so that you may be children of your heavenly Parent.” The incentive is the imitation of God.
As children of God we are given the character traits of the one who nurtures and calls and leads us into life by living the life we are invited to share. The image of God draws us into new life. There is no reason to live in such a way but that pull…that power of God to make the world new…to continue to re-create and make the world whole. This is not easy word to hear for it insists that we stop being who we want to be and let ourselves be the beloved that God calls us. The journey of belovedness is a strange beauty we cannot quite comprehend…and yet it bids us to come and be the gift God has made us to be.
Connection: This kind of life – forgiving – demands much prayer and people who can walk with us. It would be interesting for all of us to try and record the times during this day that we will not let ourselves “let go” and begin to see things in a new way.
O God of us all, you inspire us to forgive and it is often an act we would rather not enter for we can be so content to live within the grip of hatred when we are wronged or persecuted or hurt. Grant us the serenity needed to find life within your peace so that we can carry on and enter the new world you create for us each day. Amen.
Thursday, July 24, 2003
Thursday, 24 July, 2003
We continue a brief walk with some material on reconciliation by Walter Wink.
Wink writes,
…I led a workshop on nonviolence with a group of South African church leaders, half of them black. Every black person there had been tortured, and all had forgiven their torturers. One reason they might have done so is admittedly pragmatic. Hatred destroys the soul, and no matter how deserving of revenge the enemy may be, to continue to carry the desire for vengeance is simply to roast in your own fire. Forgiveness lifted a huge burden off their souls. It freed them from the crushing weight of a rage that could destroy them. For their own sakes they needed to forgive, so that their souls could soar free of the power of the past to consume them, beyond the power of the torturer to continue to dominate their minds.
“Hatred destroys the soul.” When you think about it, someone who has been wronged is wronged in a double fashion when hatred continues to rule in that person’s life. For now, hatred takes life away from the victim and there can be no resurrection for we stay locked in the tomb and forget about God’s power to raise the dead and bring about a whole new life. Now, as you might expect, letting go of hatred is not an easy life task. To make our souls – the very core of our being – soar takes the power of our God. Resurrection does not happen just by willing it. We are liberated from the power of death by the one who has destroyed death. Therefore we must continue to pray for the establishment of peace even when there is no peace – and to pray for such a thing demand the Spirit’s presence in the first place.
Connection: Before the “crushing weight of a rage destroys you” pray for the Lord of the Resurrection to bring what is promised – life.
By your power to make all things new, O Lord, liberate us from the power of death and hatred. We are so fragile that pain makes us want to inflict pain upon those we see as perpetrators in our lives. Deliver us from this pain that leads us into darkness so that we may rise to the new life you have promised for all your beloved children. Amen.
Wink writes,
…I led a workshop on nonviolence with a group of South African church leaders, half of them black. Every black person there had been tortured, and all had forgiven their torturers. One reason they might have done so is admittedly pragmatic. Hatred destroys the soul, and no matter how deserving of revenge the enemy may be, to continue to carry the desire for vengeance is simply to roast in your own fire. Forgiveness lifted a huge burden off their souls. It freed them from the crushing weight of a rage that could destroy them. For their own sakes they needed to forgive, so that their souls could soar free of the power of the past to consume them, beyond the power of the torturer to continue to dominate their minds.
“Hatred destroys the soul.” When you think about it, someone who has been wronged is wronged in a double fashion when hatred continues to rule in that person’s life. For now, hatred takes life away from the victim and there can be no resurrection for we stay locked in the tomb and forget about God’s power to raise the dead and bring about a whole new life. Now, as you might expect, letting go of hatred is not an easy life task. To make our souls – the very core of our being – soar takes the power of our God. Resurrection does not happen just by willing it. We are liberated from the power of death by the one who has destroyed death. Therefore we must continue to pray for the establishment of peace even when there is no peace – and to pray for such a thing demand the Spirit’s presence in the first place.
Connection: Before the “crushing weight of a rage destroys you” pray for the Lord of the Resurrection to bring what is promised – life.
By your power to make all things new, O Lord, liberate us from the power of death and hatred. We are so fragile that pain makes us want to inflict pain upon those we see as perpetrators in our lives. Deliver us from this pain that leads us into darkness so that we may rise to the new life you have promised for all your beloved children. Amen.
Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Wednesday, 23 July, 2003
We continue a brief walk with some material on reconciliation by Walter Wink.
Forgiveness does not mean that we condone or accept the behavior of the perpetrator. The victim does not turn a blind eye to the crime, but rather frees herself from ongoing psychological torture, thus clearing a path by which she can seek justice that is motivated, not by revenge, but by the pursuit of universal change and transformation. Harboring enmity and seeking revenge only perpetuates the power of oppressors to lord it over their victims long after the deed was done. Thus, at the most fundamental level, forgiveness spells liberation for the victim. This, however, is not the whole story.
To pursue “universal change and transformation” takes us beyond our own wants. It is like living on another plane unlike the ways we go through life most of the time. Traditionally, I would say that the power to live in such a way is provided by the Holy Spirit for it is a power alien to humanity and therefore a gift from God. It is through such power to turn away from the temptation of revenge and harboring enmity that the promised Reign of God begins to unfold in surprising ways all around us. Such a way as this takes devotion, prayer, and conversation that come together to liberate all of us.
Connection: We cannot let the oppressors in life be the lords of our lives. Therefore, this day we must all prayer for and with those who have been victims so that a new world may begin to take shape among us.
Lord of the Resurrection, it is time to open up our hearts that we may walk out of the tombs that close us up to the life you have waiting for us. Grant us peace and set our hearts to beating to the drums of forgiveness and reconciliation. Amen.
Forgiveness does not mean that we condone or accept the behavior of the perpetrator. The victim does not turn a blind eye to the crime, but rather frees herself from ongoing psychological torture, thus clearing a path by which she can seek justice that is motivated, not by revenge, but by the pursuit of universal change and transformation. Harboring enmity and seeking revenge only perpetuates the power of oppressors to lord it over their victims long after the deed was done. Thus, at the most fundamental level, forgiveness spells liberation for the victim. This, however, is not the whole story.
To pursue “universal change and transformation” takes us beyond our own wants. It is like living on another plane unlike the ways we go through life most of the time. Traditionally, I would say that the power to live in such a way is provided by the Holy Spirit for it is a power alien to humanity and therefore a gift from God. It is through such power to turn away from the temptation of revenge and harboring enmity that the promised Reign of God begins to unfold in surprising ways all around us. Such a way as this takes devotion, prayer, and conversation that come together to liberate all of us.
Connection: We cannot let the oppressors in life be the lords of our lives. Therefore, this day we must all prayer for and with those who have been victims so that a new world may begin to take shape among us.
Lord of the Resurrection, it is time to open up our hearts that we may walk out of the tombs that close us up to the life you have waiting for us. Grant us peace and set our hearts to beating to the drums of forgiveness and reconciliation. Amen.
Monday, July 21, 2003
Tuesday, 22 July, 2003
Here’s a brief walk with some material on reconciliation by Walter Wink.
Forgiveness is one of the most frequent of miracles. I use “miracle” advisedly, for forgiveness is among the most unexpected and impossible acts a human being can perform, and yet people do it every day. Take, for example, a woman who has been tortured and repeatedly raped, who says that she has forgiven her torturers. How is such a thing possible? Does she not want to burn them with acid, dismember them with an axe, submit them to the same sadistic rituals to which they subjected her? It runs against human nature to forgive all that she has suffered. She has every right to demand strict justice, to see these persecutors tried and convicted and made to pay for their crimes against her. And yet she brazenly forgives them. I can find no other word for it: a miracle.
Wink’s example is more than I can handle. He could have picked something that would allow me to have an easier time to talk about forgiveness…but he does not. Thus he hits at the radical and miraculous act of forgiveness. It is almost too strange to talk about it. It is like a burning bush that is not consumed by the fire…impossible…and yet it is…it is indeed, real.
Connection: I think it is enough to simply read Wink’s story again and make it a point of reflection throughout the day. It takes much prayer to simply listen to it. It is the very power behind radical conversion.
Lord, by your love for us we are made your own. When we deserve exactly what we may get in this world, you continue to stand for us and with us so that we will never be alone and despised. Teach us to be so bold in our loving of others. Amen.
Forgiveness is one of the most frequent of miracles. I use “miracle” advisedly, for forgiveness is among the most unexpected and impossible acts a human being can perform, and yet people do it every day. Take, for example, a woman who has been tortured and repeatedly raped, who says that she has forgiven her torturers. How is such a thing possible? Does she not want to burn them with acid, dismember them with an axe, submit them to the same sadistic rituals to which they subjected her? It runs against human nature to forgive all that she has suffered. She has every right to demand strict justice, to see these persecutors tried and convicted and made to pay for their crimes against her. And yet she brazenly forgives them. I can find no other word for it: a miracle.
Wink’s example is more than I can handle. He could have picked something that would allow me to have an easier time to talk about forgiveness…but he does not. Thus he hits at the radical and miraculous act of forgiveness. It is almost too strange to talk about it. It is like a burning bush that is not consumed by the fire…impossible…and yet it is…it is indeed, real.
Connection: I think it is enough to simply read Wink’s story again and make it a point of reflection throughout the day. It takes much prayer to simply listen to it. It is the very power behind radical conversion.
Lord, by your love for us we are made your own. When we deserve exactly what we may get in this world, you continue to stand for us and with us so that we will never be alone and despised. Teach us to be so bold in our loving of others. Amen.
Monday, 21 July, 2003
Here’s a brief walk with some material on reconciliation by Walter Wink.
Reconciliation is more than forgiveness, however. Forgiveness can be unilateral; reconciliation is always mutual. Reconciliation…requires that I and the other person, from whom I have been separated by enmity, mutually forgive each other and walk into a common future together. Forgiveness is thus a component of reconciliation, but only a first step. We may forgive our enemies in our hearts, but reconciliation requires that we pick up the phone or meet face to face and try to work things out.
It is no wonder that acts of reconciliation make for peace. The two sides work to create a common ground upon which the future may unfold without the threat of retribution over a past that was broken or corrupt. As you would expect though, reconciliation sounds like it takes time and energy. I would also say that it takes vision and that may be the biggest stumbling block and the greatest gift. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are inspired to see beyond our own wants and to anticipate what can come at the other end of brokenness. Then, the work can really begin – the work of peace making.
Connection: We are called to be ministers of reconciliation. That is a daily adventure that demands our complete devotion and attention in the midst of all the routines of the day.
By you Holy Spirit Lord, make us a people who are able to move beyond the way we want the day to take shape and inspire us to walk in the ways of peace so that our lives and our world may be a part of your life-giving Reign. Amen
Reconciliation is more than forgiveness, however. Forgiveness can be unilateral; reconciliation is always mutual. Reconciliation…requires that I and the other person, from whom I have been separated by enmity, mutually forgive each other and walk into a common future together. Forgiveness is thus a component of reconciliation, but only a first step. We may forgive our enemies in our hearts, but reconciliation requires that we pick up the phone or meet face to face and try to work things out.
It is no wonder that acts of reconciliation make for peace. The two sides work to create a common ground upon which the future may unfold without the threat of retribution over a past that was broken or corrupt. As you would expect though, reconciliation sounds like it takes time and energy. I would also say that it takes vision and that may be the biggest stumbling block and the greatest gift. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are inspired to see beyond our own wants and to anticipate what can come at the other end of brokenness. Then, the work can really begin – the work of peace making.
Connection: We are called to be ministers of reconciliation. That is a daily adventure that demands our complete devotion and attention in the midst of all the routines of the day.
By you Holy Spirit Lord, make us a people who are able to move beyond the way we want the day to take shape and inspire us to walk in the ways of peace so that our lives and our world may be a part of your life-giving Reign. Amen
Friday, July 18, 2003
Friday, 18 July, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
It is through the prophets that we may be able to encounter (God) as a Being who is beyond the mystery. In the prophets the ineffable became a voice, disclosing that God is not a being that is apart and away from ourselves, as ancient (humanity) believed, that (God) is not an enigma, but justice, mercy; not only a power to which we are accountable, but also a pattern for our lives. (God) is not the Unknown; (God) is the Father, the God of Abraham; out of the endless ages come compassion and guidance. Even the individual who feels forsaken remembers (God) as the God of (his/her) fathers.
God is forever connected to us and the connection is concrete and as real as the way in which we live this day. Maybe that is why the early church in the book of Acts was simply called the Way. God in the flesh in community - is God available and vulnerable. The prophets job becomes one in which the people are continuously reminded of the God who is present and calling forth a life that unfolds within the patterns of ordinary days. The justice and peace and mercy of our lives are that of the God who calls forth such qualities in life. There is no separation…there is only continuation and the prophets keep calling us into that eternal line of life even when the rest of the world seems to want to push what is called the Reign of God into a distant time and place.
Connection: The point here may simply be the constant call to see and hear and put to life the Reign of God without hesitation or excuse. And what would that begin to look like?
O God, you are always close to us and bidding us to follow along your ways. Continue to remind us of the purpose and intention you bring to each day. Continue to touch us with the words of your prophets who help us to focus and see your blessed Reign even when the world appears to have no room for your glory and wonder. Amen.
It is through the prophets that we may be able to encounter (God) as a Being who is beyond the mystery. In the prophets the ineffable became a voice, disclosing that God is not a being that is apart and away from ourselves, as ancient (humanity) believed, that (God) is not an enigma, but justice, mercy; not only a power to which we are accountable, but also a pattern for our lives. (God) is not the Unknown; (God) is the Father, the God of Abraham; out of the endless ages come compassion and guidance. Even the individual who feels forsaken remembers (God) as the God of (his/her) fathers.
God is forever connected to us and the connection is concrete and as real as the way in which we live this day. Maybe that is why the early church in the book of Acts was simply called the Way. God in the flesh in community - is God available and vulnerable. The prophets job becomes one in which the people are continuously reminded of the God who is present and calling forth a life that unfolds within the patterns of ordinary days. The justice and peace and mercy of our lives are that of the God who calls forth such qualities in life. There is no separation…there is only continuation and the prophets keep calling us into that eternal line of life even when the rest of the world seems to want to push what is called the Reign of God into a distant time and place.
Connection: The point here may simply be the constant call to see and hear and put to life the Reign of God without hesitation or excuse. And what would that begin to look like?
O God, you are always close to us and bidding us to follow along your ways. Continue to remind us of the purpose and intention you bring to each day. Continue to touch us with the words of your prophets who help us to focus and see your blessed Reign even when the world appears to have no room for your glory and wonder. Amen.
Wednesday, July 16, 2003
Thursday, 17 July, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
What a sculptor does to a block of marble, the Bible does to our finest intuitions. It is like raising the mystery to expression.
Private insights and inspirations prepare us to accept what the prophets convey. They enable us to understand the questions to which revelation is an answer. For our faith does not derive its full substance from private insights. Our faith is faith by virtue of being a part of the community of Israel, by virtue of our having a share in the faith of the prophets. From their words we derive the norms by which to test the veracity of our own insights.
First I must say that for those who are called followers of Jesus, our faith is faith by virtue of being a part of the community called the body of Christ. We are always called into a “we.” From within that gathering of people, each of us are nurtured to see how the Reign of God becomes manifest among “us” and the path we take as the Reign of God begins to be clarified through our prayerful deliberations with others. Within the community, there will always be those voices that are lifted up to keep us facing the vision of God’s Reign. Alone, we often ignore those voices and choose to listen to our own voice as though it is the first and last word. We must always be open to that voice that interrupts us and shakes us and pulls us into a life shaped in the midst of others…and more voices of clarification.
Connection: As difficult as it can be to sit through some other voice speaking out when we would rather go our own way, be patient, listen, speak and then prayerfully consider what can be the life we can share – a life that transform us all into the way of God’s Reign.
Lord of New Life, take us and shape us. Inspire us to hear your call and break into the domain of your justice and peace. Amen
What a sculptor does to a block of marble, the Bible does to our finest intuitions. It is like raising the mystery to expression.
Private insights and inspirations prepare us to accept what the prophets convey. They enable us to understand the questions to which revelation is an answer. For our faith does not derive its full substance from private insights. Our faith is faith by virtue of being a part of the community of Israel, by virtue of our having a share in the faith of the prophets. From their words we derive the norms by which to test the veracity of our own insights.
First I must say that for those who are called followers of Jesus, our faith is faith by virtue of being a part of the community called the body of Christ. We are always called into a “we.” From within that gathering of people, each of us are nurtured to see how the Reign of God becomes manifest among “us” and the path we take as the Reign of God begins to be clarified through our prayerful deliberations with others. Within the community, there will always be those voices that are lifted up to keep us facing the vision of God’s Reign. Alone, we often ignore those voices and choose to listen to our own voice as though it is the first and last word. We must always be open to that voice that interrupts us and shakes us and pulls us into a life shaped in the midst of others…and more voices of clarification.
Connection: As difficult as it can be to sit through some other voice speaking out when we would rather go our own way, be patient, listen, speak and then prayerfully consider what can be the life we can share – a life that transform us all into the way of God’s Reign.
Lord of New Life, take us and shape us. Inspire us to hear your call and break into the domain of your justice and peace. Amen
Wednesday, 16 July, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
In thinking about the world, we cannot proceed without guidance, supplied by logic and scientific method. In thinking about the living God we must look to the prophets for guidance.
Those who share in the heritage of Israel believe that God is not always evasive. (God) confided (God’s) self at rare moments to those who were chosen to be guides. We cannot express God, yet God expresses (God’s) will to us. It is through (God’s) word that we know that God is not beyond good and evil. Our own thinking would leave us in a state of bewilderment if it were not for the guidance we receive.
The words of the prophets have always been those clarifying images of the Reign of God. Even as the people of God were sure of whom they were and imagined that they were always within God’s righteous pathway, it has been the prophet who had to stand up and issue a way into new life. As is well known in the scriptures, the prophets didn’t always fare well when they lifted up the word of the Lord, God. Sometimes we want to listen to our own voices…our own bits of inspiration. Unfortunately, our personal insights are not always on target with the ways God calls God’s people to live in every place and time. This is one of the reasons I find that it is so important to be a part of a community of faith. It is within the voices of others that we will hear that word of God that is not our own word. It is in the dialogue, the listening, and the bold speaking that we are guided along the way of God’s Reign that is so evasive to us when we seek to be on our own.
Connection: Pundits of the day lead us here and there. The prophets take us into the vision of God’s Reign with a word that cuts through our individual wants and leads us before the way God sets the day before us.
Let you Word shower down upon us, O Lord, so that we will hear in many ways the promises of the life you bring among us. Lift up prophets who will walk with us in these days and bring the wonder of your Word into the conversations and insights of this day. Amen.
In thinking about the world, we cannot proceed without guidance, supplied by logic and scientific method. In thinking about the living God we must look to the prophets for guidance.
Those who share in the heritage of Israel believe that God is not always evasive. (God) confided (God’s) self at rare moments to those who were chosen to be guides. We cannot express God, yet God expresses (God’s) will to us. It is through (God’s) word that we know that God is not beyond good and evil. Our own thinking would leave us in a state of bewilderment if it were not for the guidance we receive.
The words of the prophets have always been those clarifying images of the Reign of God. Even as the people of God were sure of whom they were and imagined that they were always within God’s righteous pathway, it has been the prophet who had to stand up and issue a way into new life. As is well known in the scriptures, the prophets didn’t always fare well when they lifted up the word of the Lord, God. Sometimes we want to listen to our own voices…our own bits of inspiration. Unfortunately, our personal insights are not always on target with the ways God calls God’s people to live in every place and time. This is one of the reasons I find that it is so important to be a part of a community of faith. It is within the voices of others that we will hear that word of God that is not our own word. It is in the dialogue, the listening, and the bold speaking that we are guided along the way of God’s Reign that is so evasive to us when we seek to be on our own.
Connection: Pundits of the day lead us here and there. The prophets take us into the vision of God’s Reign with a word that cuts through our individual wants and leads us before the way God sets the day before us.
Let you Word shower down upon us, O Lord, so that we will hear in many ways the promises of the life you bring among us. Lift up prophets who will walk with us in these days and bring the wonder of your Word into the conversations and insights of this day. Amen.
Monday, July 14, 2003
Tuesday, 15 July, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
(Humanity) does not live by insight alone; (humanity) is in need of a creed, of dogma, of expression, of a way of living. Insights are not a secure possession; they are vague and sporadic. They are like divine sparks, flashing up before us and becoming obscure again, and we fall back into darkness “almost as black as that in which we were before.” The problem is: How to communicate those rare moments of insight to all hours of our life? How to commit intuition to concepts, the ineffable to words, insight to rational understanding? How to convey our insights to others and to unite in fellowship of faith?
Being united in fellowship does not mean complete agreement. Uniting in fellowship gives us the opportunity to offer up our insights for other to hear and see. It is such a time as this that we begin to gather around and make sense of the grand picture. Within the community, we are given the opportunity to make insight something that can be shared for we look for language to make the sharing possible. From that insight…that spark…then there is the potential for life that is shaped by our coming together around a point of insight and new direction. In the life of the community, insights have a place to stay lit…to be held up for more to see…and to be compared and shaped by new insights.
Connection: It is good to have some kind of reference point through which we can filter or compare insights. Such a process helps us to be connected to others. We are people who claim to follow the God of a people…not of an individual. Whenever our insights can be lifted up with others we are given a blessed opportunity to see how they play in the context of God’s people.
Lord God, keep us connected to one another. It is so easy to be swept away on our own journey of personal insights and forget about how you fashion community. Keep us mindful of the importance of dialogue and conversation and sharing the gifts handed to us. Amen.
(Humanity) does not live by insight alone; (humanity) is in need of a creed, of dogma, of expression, of a way of living. Insights are not a secure possession; they are vague and sporadic. They are like divine sparks, flashing up before us and becoming obscure again, and we fall back into darkness “almost as black as that in which we were before.” The problem is: How to communicate those rare moments of insight to all hours of our life? How to commit intuition to concepts, the ineffable to words, insight to rational understanding? How to convey our insights to others and to unite in fellowship of faith?
Being united in fellowship does not mean complete agreement. Uniting in fellowship gives us the opportunity to offer up our insights for other to hear and see. It is such a time as this that we begin to gather around and make sense of the grand picture. Within the community, we are given the opportunity to make insight something that can be shared for we look for language to make the sharing possible. From that insight…that spark…then there is the potential for life that is shaped by our coming together around a point of insight and new direction. In the life of the community, insights have a place to stay lit…to be held up for more to see…and to be compared and shaped by new insights.
Connection: It is good to have some kind of reference point through which we can filter or compare insights. Such a process helps us to be connected to others. We are people who claim to follow the God of a people…not of an individual. Whenever our insights can be lifted up with others we are given a blessed opportunity to see how they play in the context of God’s people.
Lord God, keep us connected to one another. It is so easy to be swept away on our own journey of personal insights and forget about how you fashion community. Keep us mindful of the importance of dialogue and conversation and sharing the gifts handed to us. Amen.
Monday, 14 July, 2003
PLEASE NOTE: Due to a number of factors last week, the weekday devotions were disrupted and fragmented. Therefore I will redo last week as there were two pieces that need to be read back to back. Hopefully the program glitch will be resolved.
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
The beginning of faith is…not a feeling for the mystery of living or a sense of awe, wonder and amazement. The root of religion is the question what to do with the feeling for the mystery of living, what to do with awe, wonder and amazement. Religion begins with a consciousness that something is asked of us. It is in that tense, eternal asking in which the soul is caught and in which (humanity’s) answer is elicited.
What do we do with it? We are not beings who simply contemplate things. We do. We live. In a day of growing fundamentalism within all the major religions around us, we need to do more looking at “What do we do with…the holy stuff we say is at the center of our religions?” It may be quite obvious that people within one religion act very differently than others. As we step back to take a better look at what people of faith are “doing,” we may soon see how contrary so many people act to the wonderful vision of oneness and love that Heschel wrote about in the pieces from last week.
Connection: Today, practice hesitating. Hesitate and take another look at what is being said and done in the name of the religious people around you. Then do the real tough task. See if you can see what you are doing with the news we call Good.
Lead and guide us Lord as we move through this day. There is no way for us to be a bold witness to your love unless we are moved by your Holy Spirit and reminded how we are to enter and live within this day. We need one another and you are the power that brings all people to you. Shape us and gather us together gracious Lord. Amen.
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
The beginning of faith is…not a feeling for the mystery of living or a sense of awe, wonder and amazement. The root of religion is the question what to do with the feeling for the mystery of living, what to do with awe, wonder and amazement. Religion begins with a consciousness that something is asked of us. It is in that tense, eternal asking in which the soul is caught and in which (humanity’s) answer is elicited.
What do we do with it? We are not beings who simply contemplate things. We do. We live. In a day of growing fundamentalism within all the major religions around us, we need to do more looking at “What do we do with…the holy stuff we say is at the center of our religions?” It may be quite obvious that people within one religion act very differently than others. As we step back to take a better look at what people of faith are “doing,” we may soon see how contrary so many people act to the wonderful vision of oneness and love that Heschel wrote about in the pieces from last week.
Connection: Today, practice hesitating. Hesitate and take another look at what is being said and done in the name of the religious people around you. Then do the real tough task. See if you can see what you are doing with the news we call Good.
Lead and guide us Lord as we move through this day. There is no way for us to be a bold witness to your love unless we are moved by your Holy Spirit and reminded how we are to enter and live within this day. We need one another and you are the power that brings all people to you. Shape us and gather us together gracious Lord. Amen.
Tuesday, July 8, 2003
Tuesday, 8 July, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
Something is asked of us. But what? The ultimate question that stirs our soul is anonymous, mysterious, powerful, yet ineffable. Who will put into words, who will teach us the way of God? How shall we know that the way we choose is the way (God) wants us to pursue?
In moments of insight we are called to return. But how does one return? What is the way of (God)? We all sense the grandeur and the mystery. But who will tell us how to answer the mystery? Who will tell us how to live in a way that is compatible with the grandeur, the mystery, and the glory? All we have is a perception but neither words nor deeds in which to phrase or to form an answer.
I stopped the quote here (see tomorrow) because this is the exact point that many people stop. In the midst of the grandeur and mystery of God, it is easy to attach our interpretation onto it. Trying to make sense of this wonderful mystery all alone is futile. And yet, many claim to have such capabilities or achieved such insight and direction. In some ways their spiritual journey ends because they are at the end of their imagination or their ideas are not tested with others. It is that testing with others that pulls us out of ourselves and opens up journey of faith. In this way we – together – begin this adventure of following.
Connection: Let those who would follow their own dreams go for it. What we may want to do is pursue the voice of the community and enter into dialogue at every opportunity that is in front of us. We may learn much today about our God’s call to life.
You, O God, promise to lead us to a fullness of life that is beyond our comprehension. Lead us now, O God. Amen
Something is asked of us. But what? The ultimate question that stirs our soul is anonymous, mysterious, powerful, yet ineffable. Who will put into words, who will teach us the way of God? How shall we know that the way we choose is the way (God) wants us to pursue?
In moments of insight we are called to return. But how does one return? What is the way of (God)? We all sense the grandeur and the mystery. But who will tell us how to answer the mystery? Who will tell us how to live in a way that is compatible with the grandeur, the mystery, and the glory? All we have is a perception but neither words nor deeds in which to phrase or to form an answer.
I stopped the quote here (see tomorrow) because this is the exact point that many people stop. In the midst of the grandeur and mystery of God, it is easy to attach our interpretation onto it. Trying to make sense of this wonderful mystery all alone is futile. And yet, many claim to have such capabilities or achieved such insight and direction. In some ways their spiritual journey ends because they are at the end of their imagination or their ideas are not tested with others. It is that testing with others that pulls us out of ourselves and opens up journey of faith. In this way we – together – begin this adventure of following.
Connection: Let those who would follow their own dreams go for it. What we may want to do is pursue the voice of the community and enter into dialogue at every opportunity that is in front of us. We may learn much today about our God’s call to life.
You, O God, promise to lead us to a fullness of life that is beyond our comprehension. Lead us now, O God. Amen
Monday, July 7, 2003
Monday, 7 July, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
The beginning of faith is…not a feeling for the mystery of living or a sense of awe, wonder and amazement. The root of religion is the question what to do with the feeling for the mystery of living, what to do with awe, wonder and amazement. Religion begins with a consciousness that something is asked of us. It is in that tense, eternal asking in which the soul is caught and in which (humanity’s) answer is elicited.
What do we do with it? We are not beings who simply contemplate things. We do. We live. In a day of growing fundamentalism within all the major religions around us, we need to do more looking at “What do we do with…the holy stuff we say is at the center of our religions?” It may be quite obvious that people within one religion act very differently than others. As we step back to take a better look at what people of faith are “doing,” we may soon see how contrary so many people act to the wonderful vision of oneness and love that Heschel wrote about in the pieces from last week.
Connection: Today, practice hesitating. Hesitate and take another look at what is being said and done in the name of the religious people around you. Then do the real tough task. See if you can see what you are doing with the news we call Good.
Lead and guide us Lord as we move through this day. There is no way for us to be a bold witness to your love unless we are moved by your Holy Spirit and reminded how we are to enter and live within this day. We need one another and you are the power that brings all people to you. Shape us and gather us together gracious Lord. Amen.
The beginning of faith is…not a feeling for the mystery of living or a sense of awe, wonder and amazement. The root of religion is the question what to do with the feeling for the mystery of living, what to do with awe, wonder and amazement. Religion begins with a consciousness that something is asked of us. It is in that tense, eternal asking in which the soul is caught and in which (humanity’s) answer is elicited.
What do we do with it? We are not beings who simply contemplate things. We do. We live. In a day of growing fundamentalism within all the major religions around us, we need to do more looking at “What do we do with…the holy stuff we say is at the center of our religions?” It may be quite obvious that people within one religion act very differently than others. As we step back to take a better look at what people of faith are “doing,” we may soon see how contrary so many people act to the wonderful vision of oneness and love that Heschel wrote about in the pieces from last week.
Connection: Today, practice hesitating. Hesitate and take another look at what is being said and done in the name of the religious people around you. Then do the real tough task. See if you can see what you are doing with the news we call Good.
Lead and guide us Lord as we move through this day. There is no way for us to be a bold witness to your love unless we are moved by your Holy Spirit and reminded how we are to enter and live within this day. We need one another and you are the power that brings all people to you. Shape us and gather us together gracious Lord. Amen.
Wednesday, July 2, 2003
Thursday, 3 July, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
Beyond all mystery is the mercy of God. It is a love, a mercy that transcends the world, its value and merit. To live by such a love, to reflect it, however numbly, is the test of religious existence.
To summarize: the power of religious truth is a moment of insight, and its content is oneness or love. Source and content may be conveyed in one word: transcendence.
Transcendence is the test of religious truth. A genuine insight rends the enclosure of the heart and bestows on (humanity) the power to rise above (ourselves).
“Beyond all mystery is the mercy of God.” What an important word for us to remember the next time we find ourselves in a position in which we want to act as judge of others…or when we are enticed into speaking poorly of others. We are a people who are brought into God’s Reign because of God’s mercy…something we cannot comprehend…we can only imagine. And yet within the imagination of our hearts, there is a something beyond how things seem to be. It is glorious. It is truthfulness at it utmost. It is love that reunites all things without any doubt. Too often, we are terribly afraid of that God and the life that is bidding us to come and dance in a new way that the world does not know and cannot comprehend. Such a merciful God does not fit with our unmerciful ways of living together. That is why our God continues to send the Spirit to pull at us and move us beyond what we want and lift us up to what is not seen completely: God’s gracious Reign.
Connection: Okay, there is this mercy of God. So now what!?! What difference does it make in our lives…what difference can it make? O my, just imagine.
Merciful God it is by your power to love that you bring new life to all of your people. Fill this day with reminders of your merciful love so that we may begin to act within your realm of hopefulness where all your people are one. Amen.
Beyond all mystery is the mercy of God. It is a love, a mercy that transcends the world, its value and merit. To live by such a love, to reflect it, however numbly, is the test of religious existence.
To summarize: the power of religious truth is a moment of insight, and its content is oneness or love. Source and content may be conveyed in one word: transcendence.
Transcendence is the test of religious truth. A genuine insight rends the enclosure of the heart and bestows on (humanity) the power to rise above (ourselves).
“Beyond all mystery is the mercy of God.” What an important word for us to remember the next time we find ourselves in a position in which we want to act as judge of others…or when we are enticed into speaking poorly of others. We are a people who are brought into God’s Reign because of God’s mercy…something we cannot comprehend…we can only imagine. And yet within the imagination of our hearts, there is a something beyond how things seem to be. It is glorious. It is truthfulness at it utmost. It is love that reunites all things without any doubt. Too often, we are terribly afraid of that God and the life that is bidding us to come and dance in a new way that the world does not know and cannot comprehend. Such a merciful God does not fit with our unmerciful ways of living together. That is why our God continues to send the Spirit to pull at us and move us beyond what we want and lift us up to what is not seen completely: God’s gracious Reign.
Connection: Okay, there is this mercy of God. So now what!?! What difference does it make in our lives…what difference can it make? O my, just imagine.
Merciful God it is by your power to love that you bring new life to all of your people. Fill this day with reminders of your merciful love so that we may begin to act within your realm of hopefulness where all your people are one. Amen.
Tuesday, July 1, 2003
Wednesday, 2 July, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
This devotion picks up from the selection from yesterday that spoke of oneness and love being an ultimate idea/standard for religious insight.
If a thought generates pride, separation from other people’s suffering, unawareness of the dangers of evil – we know it is a deviation from (God’s) way.
An insight is not meaningful to one (person) unless it is capable of becoming meaningful to all (people).
Only that which is good for all…is good for every person. No one is truly inspired for (one’s) own sake. (One) who is blessed, is blessed for others.
That journey toward oneness…toward love of all – is not easy. Nor do we seek it readily. For when we attempt to walk such a path there is much we must leave behind and that which we must leave behind is the kind of stuff we may have worked so hard to get for ourselves. And that is the point. So much of what we do or have is for us or for our kind or our people, etc. Religious insight hands us a vulnerable way of life that may not keep our lives as we want them. But then, it also hands us the Reign of God eternally.
Connection: Within the dialogues of our day when we listen well and share openly, we are often in the presence of many insights that will pull us into acts and lives of love. Then again, we can be so preoccupied with “me” and “mine” and “how I want it” that we lose out on the oneness that is simply quite awe-filled. For too often we are consumed by ourselves and cannot see the grand banquet our God sets for us in the presence of all God’s people.
Compassionate Lord, you call us to be your children and you tell us to love one another. It all seems so simple and yet we too easily turn our backs to your call and go our own way – alone. Inspire us to be vulnerable and available with one another so that we may see the power of your ways. Amen.
This devotion picks up from the selection from yesterday that spoke of oneness and love being an ultimate idea/standard for religious insight.
If a thought generates pride, separation from other people’s suffering, unawareness of the dangers of evil – we know it is a deviation from (God’s) way.
An insight is not meaningful to one (person) unless it is capable of becoming meaningful to all (people).
Only that which is good for all…is good for every person. No one is truly inspired for (one’s) own sake. (One) who is blessed, is blessed for others.
That journey toward oneness…toward love of all – is not easy. Nor do we seek it readily. For when we attempt to walk such a path there is much we must leave behind and that which we must leave behind is the kind of stuff we may have worked so hard to get for ourselves. And that is the point. So much of what we do or have is for us or for our kind or our people, etc. Religious insight hands us a vulnerable way of life that may not keep our lives as we want them. But then, it also hands us the Reign of God eternally.
Connection: Within the dialogues of our day when we listen well and share openly, we are often in the presence of many insights that will pull us into acts and lives of love. Then again, we can be so preoccupied with “me” and “mine” and “how I want it” that we lose out on the oneness that is simply quite awe-filled. For too often we are consumed by ourselves and cannot see the grand banquet our God sets for us in the presence of all God’s people.
Compassionate Lord, you call us to be your children and you tell us to love one another. It all seems so simple and yet we too easily turn our backs to your call and go our own way – alone. Inspire us to be vulnerable and available with one another so that we may see the power of your ways. Amen.
Tuesday, 1 July, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
For all its preciousness and intensity, religious insight is susceptible to doubt. What gives us the certainty that the substance of our insight is not a projection of our own soul...What is the standard by which to test the veracity of religious insight?
Such a standard would have to be an idea, not an event. It would have to be an ultimate idea, worthy of serving as an identification of the divine and at the same time the supreme idea in human thinking, a universal idea. Such an idea is oneness or love, which is an expression of oneness.
All knowledge and understanding in science, art, ethics, as well as in religion, rest upon its validity. Oneness is the norm, the standard, the goal. If in the afterglow of a religious insight we can see a way to gather up our scattered lives, to unite what lies in strife – we know it is a guidepost on (God’s) way.
Isn’t it amazing how easy it is to overlook this simple yet essential insight within the life of religious people? When we look out at the landscape of world religions and the impact they have on the societies and cultures of our world, it is quite clear that we too often teach less of this love and oneness and more of a single story that works to keep us separated and at odds with one another even to the point of warfare. No “side” is exempt from such lack of a loving vision and a loving life. This is a standard that has the power to inspire awe when it is hear and when it becomes put to life. It is also the standard of those who are brutally silenced in every age.
Connection: Do we unite or do we cause division? Yes. And yet we are always being inspired by the Holy Spirit to seek the way of God’s Reign in which all people are one.
Lord of Life, your love is pulls us into lives that carry the potential to make for a new day. Ignite that love so that we may encourage a raging fire of loving kindness that will transform our world and continue to make your love blossom among us. Amen.
For all its preciousness and intensity, religious insight is susceptible to doubt. What gives us the certainty that the substance of our insight is not a projection of our own soul...What is the standard by which to test the veracity of religious insight?
Such a standard would have to be an idea, not an event. It would have to be an ultimate idea, worthy of serving as an identification of the divine and at the same time the supreme idea in human thinking, a universal idea. Such an idea is oneness or love, which is an expression of oneness.
All knowledge and understanding in science, art, ethics, as well as in religion, rest upon its validity. Oneness is the norm, the standard, the goal. If in the afterglow of a religious insight we can see a way to gather up our scattered lives, to unite what lies in strife – we know it is a guidepost on (God’s) way.
Isn’t it amazing how easy it is to overlook this simple yet essential insight within the life of religious people? When we look out at the landscape of world religions and the impact they have on the societies and cultures of our world, it is quite clear that we too often teach less of this love and oneness and more of a single story that works to keep us separated and at odds with one another even to the point of warfare. No “side” is exempt from such lack of a loving vision and a loving life. This is a standard that has the power to inspire awe when it is hear and when it becomes put to life. It is also the standard of those who are brutally silenced in every age.
Connection: Do we unite or do we cause division? Yes. And yet we are always being inspired by the Holy Spirit to seek the way of God’s Reign in which all people are one.
Lord of Life, your love is pulls us into lives that carry the potential to make for a new day. Ignite that love so that we may encourage a raging fire of loving kindness that will transform our world and continue to make your love blossom among us. Amen.
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