Today a return to 1 Peter 2:4-5 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. No longer do we offer sacrifice like those in the temple or those through the history of humankind - sacrifices that 'cleanse' us for now - sacrifices that we offer to give thanks to a god for not making us like 'them' - sacrifices that mean we take the lives of others and kill them to make our world better. We offer 'spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus as the Christ of God' - that is we offer our own lives for the well-being of the world around us. No finger pointing at others - no blaming others for the condition of the world - no 'gotta find a scapegoat' to take the heat for what's wrong with the world. Rather, we step up to be a new reality - the new being as Paul Tillich would put it. Stepping up means we put ourselves on the line as the end of the violence in our day. Yes, through Jesus, as the Christ, we have a way to be these saints - these aliens - these strangers - rock solid for life. Connection: Hey precious - enjoy the day and enrich the lives of everyone you encounter. In the middle of what is so common, O God, reshape the world through our lives that are inspired by your grace and love. Amen. |
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