05-25-23

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 25, 2023
Yesterday, I had a little container that had just a small amount of salsa in it. I brought the container home to recycle, but as I walked toward the pantry where we put the recycling, I dropped it. It exploded. Ugh! Double ugh! There was not much salsa in the container, but it was as if it multiplied and expanded as it was released from the container. It went everywhere, including my pants and shoes. In moments like that, we (maybe I should own it individually) have a tendency to act as if it is the end of the world. It’s almost as if we forget that some soap and water, plus a few minutes of time, will take care of this problem. My initial reaction was a bit over the top, yet within seconds I remembered that it was the anniversary of the shooting in Uvalde. I was embarrassed, feeling some necessary judgment in the moment. Remember, the Biblical notion of judgment is not condemnation but light and revelation. Judgment is the disclosure of the truth. Yes, it sometimes stings a little, but judgment is intended to bring change. I can’t say whether I have been cured of my overreactions. Probably not! But hopefully I can pause a bit more often and ask myself, "What needs my energy? What should shock my system to the point of righteous indignation? What is nothing but misguided frustration distracting me from the real issues?" On the issue of guns in this country, we have completely lost our moral compass, especially those of us who follow the stories of a first-century itinerant teacher who revealed the kingdom of justice and peace. I use the word compass intentionally, as everything about us should point to him. That’s where our greatest witness will be found. It takes a lot of work, and I believe we all need those moments when we are confronted with the ramifications of real suffering and violence. Salsa on my pant leg does not deserve another minute of my time, but gun violence, as the leading cause of death among children in the United States, deserves and demands my faithful energy.

​Holy God, bring before me those things that break your heart, for those are the things that should cause mine to break as well. And in that ache, call me to be a faithful steward of the gifts given to me for the building of your kin(g)dom here on earth. Amen.