Thursday 19 March 2009

Again, for this week I will be using selections from "The Strength of Love" in which M.L. King focuses on this parable: "Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him."



In the terrible midnight of war men have knocked on the door of the church to ask for the bread of peace, but the church has often disappointed them. What more pathetically reveals the irrelevancy of the church in the present-day world affairs than its witness regarding war? In a world gone mad with arms buildups, chauvinistic passions, and imperialistic exploitation, the church has either endorsed these activities or remained appallingly silent. During the last two world wars , national churches even functioned as the ready lackeys of the state, sprinkling holy water upon the battleships and joining the mighty armies in singing, "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition." A weary world, pleading desperately for peace, has often found the church morally sanctioning war.

Though we are not in the middle of a classic "world war," we are at war. Unfortunately, this war has been mingled with religion and the many ways we can become anxious about what religion is to be the dominant religion. Most often, this at least means there is scape goats everywhere. Though many of our church leaders have been quite bold in the way they have denounced this war, the many of us who make up the church have been more silent than outspoken. There have been too many rationalizations about this war that have been exposed as down right lies. That has made war look as though it is the only thing we can do in a violent world. What I do see happening is that more and more people are very willing to say this is all wrong and there are far too many victims on all sides. The bread of peace is a bread that can be eaten by all at the same table. That is what we long for when wars and the making of war attempts to be the prevailing discipline among us. The bread of peace calls for a discipline that holds side accountable for what they are doing and have done and makes sure that people are in constant dialogue even when it would be so much easier to let the bullets fly.

Connection: The bread of peace is also available to us in the middle of all the events of this day that can turn into battles if we let them.

You invite us into your Reign of shalom, O God. It is there that we can find the rest that enables us to think again before we act in violence toward another. We need to eat that bread of life that brings peace and nourishes us for the life you have handed to us. Amen.