Sunday, April 24, 2016

Fifth Sunday of Easter

The "old order" is a way of power and tribalism, and we cling to it like a life preserver. We do not trust love, because we know where it leads. We are not blind. We see what happens to those who obey our Brother's new commandment. We hear the wailing. And we want no part of this cross.

But what if we chose to be brave? What might it look like if we loved one another as our Parent loves us? What would it mean to love the grouchy, the annoying, the misfit, the lunatic, the enemy? What if we let privilege go unchecked, trusting in the grace of encounter to wash away prejudice, knowing that such a process will take generations upon generations? What if we refuse to build walls that keep out the stranger, trusting in the grace of hospitality to bridge the deepest chasms, knowing that some will take advantage and do us harm? What if we listen, really listen, to the voices we most want to ignore, knowing that we might have to choose between our agenda and the hope of friendship?

So what about you? Will you choose boldness or safety? Will you trust in the promise of Easter? Will you trust in the grace of love? Or will you put your faith in human kings and kingdoms?

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Fourth Sunday of Easter

It is easy to get overwhelmed by life, to be consumed by the demands of this, that, and the other. But we do not belong to such demands, nor to the society that creates them. No, we belong to our Parent, and to our Parent alone. Remember that truth the next time human dictates threaten to grind your soul into despair. Then shake the dust from your feet and be "filled with joy and the Holy Spirit."

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Third Sunday of Easter

What shall we be fed? And whom do we trust to feed us? Those seem like questions worth pondering, especially in a presidential election year. It is easy to get drawn into the drama of human intrigue. And it is even easier to forget that the realm we inhabit is much larger than the piece of dirt upon which we walk. Yes, we must pay attention to practical things. But we must also remember that no politician or party can ever rescue us in a way that truly matters. So discern well for whom you will vote. And then discern even more vigorously on whom you will follow and whom you will obey.

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Second Sunday of Easter – Sunday of Divine Mercy

"Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." Such wisdom applies to our faith in mercy as much as our faith in the resurrection. Where is the evidence for this delightful grace that "endures forever"? God's children are still mired in pettiness, greed, and violence. And the most faithful among us are often the worst off. Where are our "signs and wonders"? Yes, there are moments when we feel mercy's touch. But when will it linger upon our hearts and souls? Must we die first? No, faith will never be as rational as we would like. But should that stop us from choosing to embrace it?