Simply Soul Searching
HOW IS GOD LOVING ME – AND WHERE IS GOD LEADING ME?
March 2nd- What is your name?
What is your name?
As (Jesus) stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me”— for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. (Luke 8:27-30 NRSV)
Isn’t it interesting that the first question Jesus asks this poor man is, “What is your name?” Certainly the man was extremely crazed, under guard and bound in chains, with a terrible mental illness often overtaking him. But, as always, Jesus knew what he was doing. Perhaps in asking the man his name, Jesus had a better sense of what particular illness this man had. In Greek, the words that Jesus asks are written as, “What to you a name is?” To this man, a fitting name was “Legion” for he had many demons within. Jesus then healed the man by removing the demons from him (in a crazy way, as you may already know)!
When I journal each day, I ask God, “What would you have me know?” But I choose adjectives or other descriptive words for God, as well as words for myself, that clarify what I am seeking or the condition of my soul each morning. These adjectives help me to name my specific needs and foster my earnest listening for the answers. One day I began, “God of my angry and anxious heart, what would you have me know today?” I then addressed myself the way I felt God saw me: “Distraught Karen…” While writing these meditations, I often used “Inspiring God” and “Seeking Karen.”
When we name our specific needs with Jesus, we more readily open ourselves to notice his help and his answers. Jesus can help or heal, inspire or infuse, motivate or madden, listen or laugh, strengthen or stretch, comfort or co-create. We can help to direct our discernment and increase our awareness of his specific work in us, when we describe the state of our souls with a fitting and descriptive name.
Are you talking to ME?
Today Jesus is asking, “What is your name?”
What name would you choose to describe your soul these days? Weary? Excited? Do you feel like Legion- do you have too much on your mind? Have you been called names that hurt you, that you still carry with you? Do you describe yourself with names that diminish or impede your growth? Is there a new name you would like Jesus to call you? What would you like to receive from Jesus today?
What is your name?
Readings for the upcoming week
There will be no Lenten meditation on Sundays, but for those of you who like to read the Bible passages ahead of time, here are ones for the next week. Blessings on your Sabbath!
Monday, March 2- Luke 8:27-30
Tuesday, March 3- Matthew 7:1-5
Wednesday, March 4- John 11:7-11
Thursday, March 5- Matthew 15:1-9
Friday, March 6- Matthew 15:32-36
Saturday, March 7- Mark 8:14-21
Monday, March 9- Matthew 9:2-8
February 29th- Do you also wish to go away?
Do you also wish to go away?
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:60-63, 66-69 NRSV)
Just before this passage, Jesus had distressing words for his disciples as he taught them to remember him with bread and wine. Hearing Jesus say such phrases as, “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood will have eternal life,” the disciples could not bear to hear more. This teaching is difficult; who can accept it? Several disciples even chose to leave the group. To the rest of them, Jesus then asks, “Do you also wish to go away?”
We cannot truly comprehend the turmoil that the disciples endured in their time with Jesus… the hostile Roman authority, the accusations of religious leaders, and their increasing sense of fear and danger. The tiring days with uncertain outcomes. The sometimes puzzling and seemingly disgusting words of Jesus. No wonder Jesus gave them an opportunity to change their minds and go home! He wanted to make sure they were fully committed- as the days ahead would only become harder.
We are SO very blessed and fortunate that we have the advantage of hindsight. We know how the story turned out. We know that Jesus was resurrected, we have received his Spirit, we experience his present salvation, and we share the hope of life eternal. Our faith blesses us, and yet we know that life with Jesus will not always be easy. In fact, life with Jesus will be very difficult at times. So Jesus’ question is for us, too.
Do you also wish to go away? Dear Peter has our answer- even before our time. “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life; we have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Are you talking to ME?
Today Jesus is asking, “Do you also wish to go away?”
Are you in this for the long haul, no matter what? Will you follow me to your own personal wildernesses- your own times of doubt, dryness and emptiness? Will you stay close to me, watching for opportunities to serve, teach, heal, share and love? Will you stay awake and pray with me at Gethsemane, as well as in your own times of agony and despair? Will you remember my suffering in your times of pain? Will you help to carry my cross, will you bear the burdens of others? Will you hear me tremble, cry out, and take my last breath as you humbly place yourself at the foot of the cross? Will you keep vigil at the tomb? Will you keep walking the lonely road when I seem to be far away, when all seems lost? Will you patiently and hopefully wait for my resurrection in your life? Or…
Do you also wish to go away?
Photo by Mantas Hesthaven on Unsplash
February 28th- Are grapes gathered from thorns…?
Are grapes gathered from thorns or figs from thistles?
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:15-20 NRSV)
Jesus is teaching his disciples just how much outward appearances can be deceiving. He warns us to pay attention to the fruits that people produce more than the images they display. We are to be wary of those who appear to be good or holy, those we may even admire, until we see the results of their lives and the impacts they make.
One doesn’t have to look very far to find leaders who claim to be faithful but bear very bad fruit. One example that comes to my mind is a WV state senator. Out of his “biblical” fervor against LGTBQ people, he claimed in an interview that if his children turned out to be gay or lesbian he would take them out to “see if they could swim.” The interviewer asked for clarification for such an appalling statement, but he just repeated the phrase- intending that he would drop his kids into water and possibly leave them to drown if they weren’t straight…
But this Lenten season, we are turning the question back to us. When our own bad fruits begin to show, we need to recheck our vine. What currently is the main source of our nourishment and sustenance? Are we clinging to Jesus or are we looking elsewhere? When we become attached to such things as our career, our culture, our ego, our success, our past, our mistakes, or our possessions, we may produce bad fruits. Impatience. Envy. Greed. Stress. Regret. Criticism. Weariness. Anger. Selfishness. When we are strongly attached to Jesus, we will produce those lovely Fruits of the Spirit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
How do we cling more firmly to Jesus? We might spend more time in prayer, less time on social media. We might forego additional hours at work in order to spend time with our family. Could we spend time at the community food bank more often, the shopping mall less often? Perhaps we could turn off the news reports and try a little contemplative silence. We might allow others to shine instead of clamoring for attention. We might ask Jesus for help in strengthening our connection with him.
Are you talking to ME?
Today Jesus is asking, “Are grapes gathered from thorns or figs from thistles?”
What will be your answer? Are your actions, words, and even your thoughts Christ-like? Do you resemble Jesus in your daily living? Are your fruits healthy, good and true? Have you noticed any bad fruits recently? How might you remedy this? In what areas do you need to reconnect to the healthy, pure, true source that helps us bear good fruit?
Are grapes gathered from thorns or figs from thistles?
Photo by Amos Bar-Zeev on Unsplash
February 27th- What are you looking for?
What are you looking for?
The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. (John 1:35-39 NRSV)
According to John’s gospel, the first two disciples (most likely John and Andrew) were initially with John the Baptist. When they hear John refer to Jesus as the Lamb of God, they are compelled to leave him and follow Jesus instead. Jesus turns to ask them, “What are you looking for?” They reply with a simple question, “Where are you staying?” We know their question is more than it seems, because they address Jesus as Rabbi. The disciples are actually seeking a rabbi, one who will be a teacher and mentor of their faith.
What are you looking for? This question can serve to be one of the most clarifying, guiding, and discerning questions Jesus asks us as we follow him. But we are wise to be mindful of the obstacles that prevent us from answering with greater clarity and certainty. We are wise to notice when:
We are not open-minded when we consider our answer. Last Saturday, my answer to “What are you looking for?” would have been, “I am looking for the portable recycling bin.” My answer seemed simple and obvious. But I didn’t know that the recycling bin was white and short, so I kept looking for a tall, green bin. I drove through town a few times before I realized my mistake. Assuming that all recycling bins looked the same hampered my search.
We are avoiding the answer. Think of the times when a helpful salesperson asks, “Can I help you find something?” and we reply, “No thank you, I’m just browsing.” We may actually be looking for something, but we avoid the answer for several reasons. We don’t want to feel pressured. We want to keep our options open. We want to find it ourselves. We don’t want to inconvenience the clerk. We don’t want to commit to something and then regret doing so.
We are not clarifying the purpose of the question. A friend of mine described her first session with a counselor when she was struggling in her marriage. The wise counselor asked, “Are you here to help your marriage, or are you here to ease your guilt by ‘doing all you can’ before your marriage ends?” What are you looking for here? Clarifying the question and discerning her honest answer helped the counselor guide her future sessions.
Are you talking to ME?
Today Jesus is asking, “What are you looking for?”
As you follow Jesus, what are you looking for? How would you honestly answer him? Will you be open-minded as you reply? Will you let go of your preconceived or usual answers? Would you answer Jesus right away- or want to keep your options open? Are you afraid to fully commit? If you are unsure what you seek, will you trust him to help you find the answer? What might be the true and deeper meaning that Jesus hopes you will find in his question today?
What are you looking for?
Photo by Andrew Ridley on Unsplash
Ash Wednesday, February 26th
Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I tell you?
Ash Wednesday
Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house. (Luke 6:46-49 NRSV)
I rarely call Jesus ‘Lord’ and maybe there is an inner reason for that. I am much more comfortable calling Jesus my friend, my guide, or my savior. When I pray with Jesus, I envision him as a loving presence who cares for me, understands me, forgives me, and wants to help me. Jesus IS all of these- but Jesus should be the Lord of my life, too.
A Lord is one who has power and authority over others. As our Lord, Jesus has directed us to do some tough things. Obeying Jesus means to live in a way that goes against our nature, that stretches our comfort level, that calls us beyond our plans and dreams, that even requires us to surrender our way of being in the world. Follow him. Love our enemies. Turn the other cheek. Give our possessions away. Forgive many times. Seek the kingdom of God. Don’t worry. Deny ourselves.
We don’t always want to do what Jesus tells us to do. So, we begin this Lenten season by receiving the sign of the cross, marked in ash across our heads. Ash Wednesday reminds us of our selfishness, our forgetfulness, and our inattentiveness as we live this present kingdom of God. The day also reminds us that our earthly bodies will one day become dust. We are reminded that we have not made Jesus the Lord of our lives- and reminded how much we NEED Jesus to be the Lord of our lives!
Making Jesus the Lord of our lives can and will be difficult at times. But in this passage, we learn that the things he calls us to do are part of his love, his deep understanding of us, and his desire to help us through this life. The more we listen and obey Jesus, the more we will have a solid rock to stand on or cling to when earthly trials set in. The more we become less of ourselves and more of Christ, we participate in the kingdom living that takes us beyond our worldly cares and preoccupations. These tough commands really are his truest words of tender love and pure guidance for our daily living.
Are you talking to ME?
Today Jesus asks, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you?”
What words of Jesus have you been ignoring? When have you asked Jesus for help but continued to do your own thing? Of the things Jesus tells us to do, which are the most difficult for you? Do you easily notice when others fail to obey Jesus while disregarding your own selfish will? Is Jesus truly the Lord of your life?
Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I tell you?
(For additional reflection, you may want to dwell with this question, perhaps even pulling it out of context, as you invite Jesus to ask you directly and personally.)
Photo by Ahna Ziegler on Unsplash
Are You Talking to ME? (Introduction to Lenten Devotional Series)
Are You Talking to ME?
Tuesday, February 25th
I was struggling to keep awake as I sat in the middle of a large university lecture hall on an early Monday morning. Just as my head began to nod, the professor yelled to me, “Go ahead and sleep, I don’t care!” Startled awake, I ‘looked around’ the hall for the dozing culprit, vainly pretending the professor wasn’t addressing me. I could tell by the looks on the students’ faces that I wasn’t fooling anyone. (My surprise and embarrassment from being called out kept me wide awake for the remainder of the class!)
Do we do this when we read the Bible- try to convince ourselves that Jesus couldn’t be talking to us? Do we regard the words of Jesus as if they are meant only for those hypocritical Pharisees, or those clueless disciples, or those crowds of self-centered people? Instead of taking his words to heart, do we inwardly think, “You tell them, Jesus!”?
Do we read the words of Jesus as if we are half-asleep? “Oh, yes, I already know this story, this parable, this lesson.” Do we miss out on his personal word for us in the present moment? Do we neglect to reapply his words to our own daily living and being?
This Lent, our devotional theme is Are You Talking to Me? Jesus asked many questions of people as he journeyed this earthly life. His questions helped people determine what they most needed from him. His questions invited people to grow and change. His questions opened hearts and souls to deeper meaning and significance. We will consider some of the questions Jesus asked of others and then ask Jesus, “Are you talking to ME?” How will his questions invite us to grow and learn during this Lenten season?
May our Lenten meditations foster a closer relationship to Jesus, who came to teach, heal, lead, love, and live within us all. May our answers to his questions bring insight, awareness, gratitude, and deeper abiding. May his questions open our eyes, clarify our purposes, and pierce our souls, as we answer each of them personally.
Are you talking to ME?
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
(Daily meditations will continue through Tuesday after Easter, except for Sundays.)
The Small Call
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you…” (Genesis 12:1 NRSV)
When the Lord saw that (Moses) had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:4-5 NRSV)
The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. (Luke 1:30-31 NRSV)
…suddenly a light from heaven flashed around (Saul). He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. (Acts 9:3-5 NRSV)
These biblical saints (and many others) inspire me with their courage, their trust in God, their faithful obedience, and their full submission to God’s call. Abram became Abraham as he left his home to follow God into new lands. Moses brought his people out of exile. Mary became the accepting, loving and selfless mother of Jesus. Saul became Paul, a faithful witness and a prolific writer of several of the Epistles. All of them relinquished their plans and surrendered their lives to follow God’s call into unknown and vastly different futures.
Meriam-Webster defines the word calling as “a strong inner impulse toward a particular course of action especially when accompanied by conviction of divine influence.”
Have you ever sensed a calling in your life? There are times when I feel an inner “nudge” to try a new vocation, or speak about an issue, or listen to someone, or take action, or improve myself. While these callings are important to me, they seem insignificant compared to those of the saints in history and the present. Does God feel I am inadequate in some way? Do I lack the courage, stamina or faith of these people? At times I have wondered why I have not had a call of biblical magnitude or significance… until I came upon this quote:
Each moment… is a new place you’ve never been.¹
Each new day, each future moment is really an adventure into unknown territory. Certainly our days often pass as expected- with a few surprises here and there- but we all can recall some unexpected interruptions in our lives when “we didn’t see THAT coming!” So isn’t every new day a venture into the unknown? Doesn’t facing each future moment take faithful courage? Isn’t this earthly life itself an adventure of a lifetime, one daily adventure with God? Aren’t we like Abraham, Moses, Mary and Paul, as we listen for God’s guidance and direction for our daily living?
God is calling. God is calling each of us to enter into the next new moment as God’s people, ready to act or speak or listen or pause or share or thank or question or trust or deny or surrender or move or rejoice. Like the saints before us, we are called to be faithful, obedient, trusting, courageous, and sacrificial, too. For ALL the moments of our days.
Our calling is this simple and also this difficult: To live with the awareness that God is always moving, working and calling us. To seek God in such a way as to recognize and embrace all that God is asking, offering or revealing. To pray that God will provide whatever is needed for the next step of our journey. To be ready to follow wherever God leads.
¹Mark Strand, New Selected Poems
Photo by Lili Popper on Unsplash
*******
My Reading Friends,
Currently I am writing daily devotional thoughts for a Lenten series, “Are you talking to ME?”
I will so appreciate your prayers! Please pray that I will be open to the Spirit’s inspiration and creativity. Pray that what I write may be God-pleasing, pure and faithful. I invite you to pray for yourselves, too, that these devotions may bless you in a particular or special way. You will be in my prayers as well.
This year, I will not be posting my blog posts on Facebook, but you may receive daily emails by following me here (click on the “Follow” button) or you may read the posts by visiting this site each day.
Thank you! God bless you.
Karen 🙂
Wave More (Tweet Less…?)
Romans 15:7 (NRSV)
Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
Philippians 2:2-4 (NRSV)
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.
I generally smile and wave to the drivers and neighbors I encounter when I walk. This is a practice I adopted from a friend who told me that she always waves to anyone who comes down her street. She explained that the person passing by is usually a neighbor, and if not, she believes she helps to make her neighborhood a friendlier place for everyone. I liked her idea and have made it my practice, too.
When we were new to this neighborhood, I felt a little uncomfortable waving because every person I encountered was a stranger to me. But most people would smile and wave back, and over time, I noticed that often they were waving at me first! They began to recognize me as their neighbor. They were no longer just responding to my initial greeting but actually wanting to greet me as well. These little mutual greetings have come to mean so much to me. My neighborhood does feel like a friendlier place.
There is something special about a wave, isn’t there? Even among strangers, a wave becomes the friendly gesture that we notice each other, we acknowledge each other’s presence, and we wish them well. The folks in my community may know nothing of me (except that I walk a lot 😀 ) but each of us recognizes the other as a neighbor and potential friend. They do not know my political leanings, my religious affiliations, or my stances on social issues. I do not know theirs. We may have nothing else in common, but we see an underlying goodness in one another, connected as human beings who share the same community.
I think we need to wave more than tweet.
A few years ago I started a Twitter account in order to share my blogs, but I have avoided Twitter in recent times. There are so many political tweets and most of them are upsetting and discouraging. These vindictive and divisive tweets intend to inflame, rile and huddle together those who are on the same political side, while angering and pushing away those on the other. Political tweets are often used as weapons to further divide us, instead of teachable tools that could unite us. These political tweets will never change hearts or minds, but only further divide and alienate us from one another.
This type of tweet seems like the exact opposite of a wave.
A wave signals, “I acknowledge you,” while a ranting tweet declares, “I don’t care what you think, I’m right and you’re wrong.” A wave shows that we recognize one another as connected beings, even when a person is on the other side of the street. A vicious tweet shows that we will remain separated by our differences and there is no desire to change that. A wave is a mutual greeting of friendship, while a tweet is like a one-sided, palm-out gesture to keep away.
We do not have to follow suit. We can set a different example. We can be the “wavers” instead of the “tweeters.” We can look for the things that unite us- and I believe there are so many more than the things that separate us. We can connect in some small way even when we are on “the opposite sides of the street.” We can work to find our commonality instead of what differentiates us. We can try to find our common ground and use that as a foundation to build from there. We can wish one another well instead of pushing each other away. We can see people as fellow neighbors instead of unseen enemies on social media.
My friends, consider this post as my wave to all of you. That I see you as a human beings and I value your existence, no matter what you believe or where you are in the world.
We can continue to hurl tweets, memes, or Facebook posts (or bombs, for that matter) that claim, “We are better than YOU!”
Or we can come together and say, “We are better than THIS.”
Clipart image from thenounproject.com (free images)
Awakening is Uncomfortable
Romans 12:2 (NRSV)
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
I’m chuckling about this now, but when I chose the word awaken as my guiding word for this year, I envisioned myself as a gentle earth mother who has spiritually awakened and walks deeply and contemplatively through life. Instead, God seems to be leading me to awaken in a different way- to a greater awareness of the injustices and troubles around me- which has awakened my heartbreak and even outrage at times.
Earlier this month, Jim was invited to speak with other clergy at a press conference on behalf of Fairness, WV. This organization is working to pass a bill that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s housing and employment non-discrimination statutes. Because Jim believes in and advocates for equal rights and justice for all LGTBQ people, he was delighted to have the opportunity to speak. He was then invited to join the Fairness WV team! We are excited to help where we can.
But now we are becoming more aware of all the obstacles ahead. Now I am hearing more of those hateful remarks, uninformed judgments, outright lies, and over-exaggerated fears, from folks who have incomplete or immature understandings of the Bible, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Hearing people say these things about the dear, good people I know and love sickens me to my core. I have been aware of these issues for quite some time and worked for inclusion and equality in the Lutheran church years ago, but hearing these accusations anew has been painful.
I’m sad that the objectors of the Fairness Act claim that their faith is what they are upholding, when I believe that it is fear. I’m sad that they believe God would judge them for treating everyone fairly and equally while withholding their own personal judgments of others. I’m sad that they don’t feel the love of our God who loves us all, commands us to love everyone, and tells us to treat others as we would treat ourselves (one can find these verses in the Bible beyond Leviticus).
We- myself included- are tempted to close our minds to that which makes us uncomfortable. We come to just enough understanding about an issue so that we feel either justified or affirmed, and then we have no desire to learn anything more. We stagnate happily in our “rightness” because learning something new or different might make us uncomfortable again. I do this with opposing political views. I generally read articles that support my position instead of learning more about other viewpoints. If anything, reading the opposite view may give me a better understanding and starting point for future conversations. We may be content in our stagnation, but when we use our closed and misinformed minds to divide or judge others, we are compounding the wrongs in our world.
- If one truly wants to use the Bible as a source of authority on this issue, one must understand what the Bible really says about sexual behaviors. One must take the time to read insights from scholars, research the culture of the time, learn how the Bible was assembled, and study scientific evidence about sexual orientation. We cannot stop short once we read a few verses which seem to uphold our judgment against others. There are SO many other verses that contradict these.
- If one truly wants to claim a right to religious freedom, one must also uphold all of the Constitution and its amendments. We cannot stop short once we read the First Amendment alone, but also read and apply the equal protection clause in the 14th Amendment:
All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
We all must keep learning and growing in our understanding of issues- and of one another. This awakening has been difficult, but it doesn’t compare to the challenges and injustices our LGTBQ family members and friends have endured. Then there are the many others who are also suffering, held captive by injustice. Jesus tells us to help ALL of the oppressed- the widows, orphans, refugees, immigrants, poor, imprisoned, sick, suffering, people of color, and any who are marginalized. We have much to do.
May I continue to be awake and aware, may I continue to learn and grow, and may I continue to be heartbroken and angry about the unjust ways we treat others. Most of all, may I continue advocating for justice, equality and relief for all who are marginalized while growing in my understanding of the issues we face. My words and actions may not enlighten the closed-minded. But may my words and actions help others to know that they are loved, that they are not alone, and that there are friends who will advocate, support and journey with them. Just like God does.
Awaken me, God, to all that I must see, to all that I must learn, to all that I must do. Amen.
Photo credit: taken from napavalleykid.com
Simply Soul Searching 