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I wanted to start my musings with this
from Sojourner’s. it seemed very appropriate for today. Yesterday was the
celebration of Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. There appeared many of the
visions that he had regarding a better country where we could all live together
in a spirit of community. Sadly that has never in my life happened. There have
been glimpses of times we are able to see beyond our ethnocentric views, but we
continue to be a nation divided by race, gender, sexual orientation, poverty of
economy and spirituality. One particular statement of Dr. King’s that came from
his Birmingham letter was, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice
everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a
single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all
indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial
“outside agitator” idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be
considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.” It saddens me that I
continue to see examples of injustice, bigotry, and the lack of understanding
of the other that is prevalent in our society. I have lived to see a President
of United States assassinated. His brother also assassinated. Dr. King
assassinated. I have seen church building set on fire because of hatred of the
people. School children shot in classrooms. People run down and killed for
their beliefs. It is at times discouraging and disheartening to see this occur
over decades and probably if we are honest since the beginning.
I had said that I wanted to fast from
negativity but it is so hard to do when one sees all around the injustice to
others that are children of God. When
our institutions that should be there for the people, fail in doing what they
were tasked to do. Maybe this is coming about as our life group is studying
Revelation. There we see that same type of conflicts with those who are
different than us. We see it in the Roman Pax Romana. I often wonder about what
is inherent in humans that leads to conflict rather than cooperation and love.
Surely, this is not what God intended. It is easy to just put it on the
doorstep of original sin or even satan. The reality is that it is on myself and
yourself. It is the choices that we make. So I started with Isa. God’s promise
of strength and comfort. And in the quote from Kate Bower. Is God’s presence
and love enough?
Yet, even with the churches of Revelation,
there is hope. The opportunity to repent and turn around is always present.
Even today that hope in Christ is still with us. God has never abandoned us
even if we have abandoned God. As in the early church, it begins with each of
us to consciously choose to abide in Christ. We can create a ripple by not
buying into the continued divisions and prejudices that prevail. Jesus told us
to love God and to love our neighbor. Not just those that live next door, but
those who live in God’s world.
Next week, I will hopefully be in a better
place and not shut in with the ice and snow. But until then readers stay safe
and warm.
Eldon
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