Let our voices shout out - Passion/Palm Sunday

Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. — Isaiah 1:17

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”— Luke 19:38–40

As Christians, we have a biblical mandate to seek justice by speaking out against systems of oppression that exploit, dehumanize and abuse people. Just as Jesus spoke against corruption in society, so must we. But what does this call look like when it interferes with our understanding of peace? Those who greeted Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem on a humble donkey, not a powerful war horse that Roman soldiers rode on, misunderstood the peace God was seeking to bring into the world.

Society has taught us that peace is the absence of conflict. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines societal peace as “a state of tranquility or quiet such as freedom from civil disturbance.” Unfortunately, this understanding of peace does not consider the inequities of society that call for us to speak up, not to remain silent so that the proverbial boat will not be rocked. The Pharisees wanted silence from the people. They wanted silence from Jesus. But peace doesn’t come from staying silent. Staying silent only perpetuates a system that maintains the tranquility of the privileged. Is that really peace?

As we begin Holy Week, we must ponder two questions: Can there be peace in the world with no justice? And will it be our voices crying out or will the stones have to shout for us?

Lord, guide us this Holy Week on our journey for justice. Help us understand the true meaning of peace. Strengthen our voices so that we continue speaking up for what is right. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.

Shalom: The Way to Reconciliation – Holy Week and Easter

Written by Ivy Lopedito, Christian Brooks and Donna Frischknecht Jackson

Reflect: Our Lenten journey to the ways of shalom has brought us to the final week — Holy Week. It is a week that starts with the triumphal entry into the Holy City where soon the cheering crowds will become jeering crowds no longer praising Jesus but condemning him. How quickly the tide can turn. And yet, as the week ends with the cross of Good Friday and the tears of grief filling our Holy Saturday, joy will return. Resurrection Sunday comes and we are reminded that in Christ, God was reconciling the world. As we journey through Holy Week exploring the theme of reconciliation, think of the hurts, grudges and hatred that need to be nailed to the cross and laid to rest in a “tomb.” Think about the healing power of reconciliation and where you have seen it in your life.

Add to your peace prayer “tree”

Each day during Holy Week, think about the hope we have in the promise of the resurrection and add prayers to your tree, railing or fence; make them prayers for the “new” things you are hoping for in your life.

Unity

Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. — 1 Corinthians 1:10

The divide in our nation has been very apparent in recent years. This division has led to fear, hatred and destruction. We are in dire need of unity and healing.

However, before we can even begin the work of repairing and move toward reconciliation, we must acknowledge our wrongs. There are past and present atrocities that have not fully been acknowledged. The colonization of the Americas and the enslavement of African Americans are two horrific events in America’s history that still need to be addressed. These events breached trust; they stripped the dignity from and took the lives of many.

Though these events took place long ago, the descendants of Indigenous peoples and enslaved African Americans are still suffering. People lost their languages, their native religions and their cultural identities. Families were separated. Land and income were stolen.

As we look forward to unifying our nation, let us not forget the pain and suffering that are part of our history. This Lent, as people of faith, let us take on the role of repairers — restoring the dignity of those who have been harmed.

Loving God, guide us as we journey to become a more unified nation. Give us the humility, grace and courage to make right our wrongs. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.

A new reality

Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. — 2 Peter 3:11–13

In the Second Epistle of Peter, we are given the hope of a new reality. This hope is much needed as we are still reeling from and dealing with a year — 2020 — that brought us a global pandemic that claimed the lives of millions around the world. The pandemic also triggered an economic crisis that rendered millions of people unemployed, homeless and food insecure.

The legacy of deep-seated systemic racism and oppression was also unveiled in 2020. The Scripture addresses the need to tear down the old to create a new existence where there is no oppression, suffering or inequality, but one filled with love and righteousness. This hope for a new existence is important now more than ever.

As people of faith, we must take heed of Peter’s words. Lent is a time to repent, to acknowledge past mistakes and repair the wrongs of the past. When we do this, we will begin reimagining an equitable society for all.

Lord, help us prepare for the shift that is necessary in our society. Help us to accept what needs to change with grace and love. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.

Be the change you want to see

He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? — Micah 6:8

Jesus knew the teachings of the prophets and turned to those lessons often as he modeled for others what a life filled with shalom could look like. On our Lenten journey, we turn to this oft-recited Scripture passage from the prophet Micah and discover two little words that can make all the difference in our broken world: “to do.” We are not only to hear about the work of justice, but we are also to do that work. And we are not only called to seek justice from others, but we must also behave justly ourselves.

Micah calls us to look within ourselves, our organizations and our communities to make sure we are behaving justly. If we discover injustice within our lives and communities, we must have enough humility to acknowledge our missteps and correct our mistakes. We must also have the kindness to apologize and ask forgiveness for our mistakes. We cannot only expect others to change. We must also be the change we want to see.

Lord, please give me the strength and humility to look for injustices within myself. Give me the courage to acknowledge my mistakes and give me the strength to change. In Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.

Jesus the liberator and protestor

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free. — Luke 4:18

Who is this Jesus that we follow to the cross? He was a healer to the sick. He was a friend to the friendless. He was also a liberator and a protestor, speaking out against oppression and corruption.

Not everyone, however, embraces Jesus the liberator and protestor. In Luke 4, as Jesus continued to teach about healing and liberation, people became furious. A mob formed in an attempt to drive him out of town.

As followers of Christ, Jesus entrusts us to continue his mission. We are called to be truth-tellers who not only proclaim the gospel, but also live out the gospel in our daily lives. We are called to speak out against oppressive systems that were built to abuse, oppress and marginalize.

As we continue to speak up, there will be people who are not pleased. Just as they did with Jesus, people will raise up against us. However, just as Jesus continued to speak out, so shall we.

The Lenten path we trod is not an easy one. It leads to the cross of crucifixion where the world thought it finally silenced Jesus. But like Jesus, we put our faith in God, knowing that hope reigns beyond the cross. The work of liberation will not stop.

Lord, guide me in your way and help me to speak up for what is right, even when there are people who are against me. In Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.

Radical reconciliation

When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.” — Matthew 21:23–27

So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. — Matthew 5:23–24

It’s hard to seek reconciliation when tensions continue to rise and where conflict is around every corner, as Jesus witnessed with the Pharisees early in the week leading to his crucifixion. Yet the Gospel of Matthew makes it clear how important reconciliation is within relationships here on Earth. It’s so important, that before you come to the altar with your gift, if there is any animosity between you and someone else, you must go and be reconciled. This is something that I find challenging and sometimes seems impossible to do.

The time we are living in has brought family members against each other, has broken lifelong friendships and has also caused us to greatly dislike people we might not even fully know. I don’t want to always try and be reconciled with my brother or sister. Sometimes the easiest thing seems to be to just hold all the anger, hate and animosity within us and push it down without doing anything about it.

Reconciliation these days seems to be a radical thing to do. It’s radical because it’s not easy. But maybe doing something radical might be the very thing that starts the healing process with someone who you’ve had animosity with. During this week, may we slowly take steps toward forgiveness and healing, knowing that when we forgive and seek reconciliation we are also given the gift of letting go

of the toxins in our own lives. May we allow the Spirit to work in places we can’t, to heal and bring peace in ways we cannot even imagine.

God of heaven, heal our hearts and give us the ability to start the process of radical reconciliation. Remind us that it can take time and help us to endure when it seems to just get harder. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.