Category: Gospel

When Peter’s Threefold Denial Mirrors Our Own

The denial of Peter - Gospelimages

 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “This very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.
Matthew 26:34-35

Holy Week, culminating in Good Friday and Jesus’ death on the cross, follows a series of key events. Perhaps the most human occurs when Jesus’ closest disciple, Peter, openly denies knowing him—three times.
At this point, it is important to consider Peter’s circumstances. Had Peter admitted not only to knowing Jesus but also to being his follower, the same fate as his master likely awaited him. The horror of crucifixion, reserved for criminals, slaves, and prisoners of war, was perfected by the Romans to deter and inflict maximum suffering. So, despite Peter’s bold claim that he would never disown Jesus, in all candor, how many of us would have acknowledged being his disciple under such circumstances?
But denial is deadly because it is often insidious. It is rarely as dramatic as on that night after Jesus’ arrest. Instead, it quietly rejects in the background, often unnoticed.  Even as we profess faith, attend services, and strive to follow Jesus, denial lingers beneath the surface, eroding the connectedness God instilled in us. Its shadow reaches beyond our close circles, affecting those different from us—in appearance, culture, language, religion, and even the natural world itself.
Perhaps we are in our current mess because, like Peter, we unwittingly reject the very connectedness that God instilled in us from the beginning. The French Jesuit priest, Teilhard de Chardin, observed, “…every particle in the cosmos contains Christ. Since we are made up of trillions of them, we are truly immersed in Christ at all times.  In other words, we are saturated with God.”
Prayer: Immersive God, whose divine presence saturates the entirety of the cosmos and all of creation, forgive us for forgetting who and whose we are. Having rejected the connectedness that anchors us to everyone and everything, we have severed the union that lovingly binds us to life itself. We implore You: liberate us from the shadow that keeps us from our truest and best selves. We ask this in the many names of God. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Google Images

The Transformative Power of Kindness (whose origin is sorrow)

“He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows,
acquainted with deepest grief…”   Isaiah 53:3 

Earlier this week, the Christian tradition began its forty-day period of repentance and mourning, starting with the imposition of ashes this past Wednesday. This Sunday, March 9th, begins the first of six Sundays, during which both liturgy and sacred text attest to the gravity of the condition confronting humankind and all of creation—one steeped in finitude, vulnerability, and inexplicable loss.

Writes poet Naomi Shibah Nye,
“Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing
…then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore.” [1]

When cruelty appears to have the final word, be it ostracizing transgender people, othering immigrants, cutting off aid to third-world nations, or doubling down on plundering the planet, the transformative power of kindness offers a radically different lens.   A way of being that refuses to remain quiet or on the sidelines, but through speech and action,  “…raises its head from the crowd of the world to say, It is I you have been looking for and then goes with you everywhere like a shadow or a friend.”[2]

Prayer: Beloved One, did you know how much would be demanded of you when the Spirit drove you into the bleak and barren wilderness?  Yet, having faced the magnitude of want and the depth of sorrow’s bleakness, You became the tenderest of shoots, triumphantly emerging from the hard rock of despair.  So let us not lose heart in sorrow’s wake but bravely practice the transformative power of kindness.  For you are the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, and in You all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.  We offer this prayer in all the holy names of God. Amen. 

[1] Kindness, a poem by Naomi Shihab Nye, copyright 1995.

[2] ibid. 

[3] Scriptural references and text in today’s prayer come from the Gospel of Luke 4:1-13 and Colossians 1:15 & 1:19

[4] This reflection is offered in gratitude to Janice Mason Steeves, Mary Ann Holtz and others who take part in the online contemplative prayer community:https://meditationchapel.org/

 

 

 

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Blessed Are You…

11 ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  [1]

This past week, millions in our nation and worldwide witnessed the ceremonies and funeral of Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States. After lying in state in the nation’s capital, Carter’s funeral service took place at the Washington National Cathedral, the second-largest church building in the United States. Every pew in that capacious sanctuary, which seats 4,000 people, was filled.

Born and raised in Plains, Georgia, Carter came from unassuming roots, spending his childhood and teen years working on his father’s farm.  Yet he was an archetype of a statesman in countless other ways.  A man of unwavering faith, Carter was a conciliator of peace between Israel and Egypt, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, a champion of civil rights and the environment, a humanitarian dedicated to disease eradication and prevention, a promoter of democracy, a fervent supporter and volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, and founder of the Carter Center. 

Ironically, Carter weathered intense criticism during his lifetime, if not downright ridicule.     Scoffed at as naive, condemned as a failure as leader and President, and chided for seeking dialogue rather than resorting to war, Carter knew firsthand the scorn of public humiliation and contempt by others, particularly those involved in state affairs.   Brushed off as a mere ‘peanut farmer’ and dubbed a ‘weirdo’ when remaining true to his faith, Carter’s legacy was to continue living into the Gospel even when it was disadvantageous to do so. 

When we hear Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount, “You are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world,” we must remember that these verses were offered in the context of far more difficult ones.   These essential sentences undergird the price of being as salt and light.   ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Prayer: Divine Maker, in this time of gathering darkness, when your creation burns to the ground, and mass deportation looms; in this time of rising anxiety, when a convicted felon will assume the highest in the land, and children are callously sacrificed as the price of war, forgive us, we pray for forfeiting what you alone lovingly created and hence called good.    Kindle within us a renewing of your Spirit so that we may heed Christ’s summons once more.   So even when the good we do is misunderstood or ridiculed, remind us that as bearers of light and the salt of the earth, You have blessed us beyond measure in your realm of peace.  We ask this in all the holy names of God. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do Not Be Afraid…

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see-I am bringing you news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” [1]

“Do not be afraid,’ the angel said.   

You chose to make your lot with us, though we had nothing to offer you. 
You chose to come and live amongst us despite our turning against you.
You chose to live not as a ruler on our terms but as a shepherd and servant.
And you did these things so that nothing would ever be the same.

 So even though tyrants hold sway and violence appears to have the final word:
You, in your humility,
You, in your Majesty,
You, as Lord of All Creation, can categorically say:
“Fear Not, for I am with you.  Fear Not,  for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”  [2]

Prayer: Holy One, convinced that darkness will be the definitive word in these days and those to come, even the thought of the New Year profoundly troubles me.   I am perplexed and sorely afraid, not just for myself but for the most vulnerable: for the children caught in warzones, for those in the grips of poverty and hunger, and for the many facing deportation.   I fear the loss of liberties we had taken for granted.  I lament the loss of creatures and a planet we cannot live without.    Yet still you say, “Do Not Be Afraid.”   So, in your Righteous and Mighty Name, let me not cower, let me not waver, let me not forget that You and You alone are the Lord of All Creation.  Amen.

[1] Luke 2:10-11

[2] Isaiah 41: 10

Love Your Neighbor – Vote

“Voting is one of the most powerful tools we have as people of faith.” 

It is no accident that the Gospel’s directive to ‘Love Your Neighbor’ is frequently written off as mixing politics with religion.    But what if the teachings of Jesus, by addressing the necessity of compassion and care for the least of these, are not just political but profoundly so?  Indeed, if the definition of politics (from the Greek word, polis) asks, ‘How do we take care of each other,’ imagine if our sacred text is the most political of documents?

 Yes, we are overwhelmed by the number of consequential, if not existential, issues facing us. Be it climate change, poverty, hunger, healthcare, immigration, housing, or violence waged against the most vulnerable, we are in a state of polycrisis, as when multiple challenges are affecting our world simultaneously.  Yet what if politicians bankrolled by fossil fuel corporations and other big-money interests lost an election?  What if they were voted out of office by the very people adversely affected by their greed and complicity?  

Imagine if, all along, democracy has been the engine that has the means to change the levers of power. What if the unassuming, humble voting booth where ordinary citizens go to cast their vote is the basis for sacred ground? 

Prayer: Holy One, when tempted to relegate politics beyond the scope of what our faith requires of us, teach us to remember that the love of one’s neighbor requires otherwise.   Remind us that our actions, especially towards the least of these, were never intended to be separated from the faith we profess to hold.   In your mercy, restore us to your likeness, we pray.  Pour out your life-giving Spirit upon us so that we, as your people, will do whatever is necessary to protect and preserve your creation and all of humankind.   Let your grace dwell richly within us so that, as citizens and people of faith, our actions will testify to your all-encompassing love.   We ask this in all the holy names of God.  Amen.  

[1]  I am indebted to the Third Act’s panel discussion on the Sacred Right to Vote, held earlier this May.    In particular, those serving on the panel, Rev. Dr. Jim Antal, Rev. Carol Devine, Activist Mubarak Elamin, and Rabbi Stephanie Kolin, illuminated this urgent topic through a well-informed discussion on the intersection of voting and faith.   

What You Do Makes a Difference

 

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact 
on the world around you.   What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

Lately, I’ve been returning to this quote when feeling powerless, wondering if I or anyone else can make any difference.   Yet then, Goodall’s observation, ‘that none of us can get through a single day without impacting the world around us,’ harkens to her own experience.  Having worked for decades as a primatologist and anthropologist in seeming isolation, she must have lived fully into each day, with one building upon the next.    

Indeed, in the face of palpable suffering and ruthless exploitation on this planet we call home, my hope is that each day allotted will be lived by us entirely.   Not ignoring the world’s cries, but out of love, doing what we can to make a difference:  
Whether it is serving a meal in a homeless shelter,
tending to those ravaged by severe weather,
serving on a phone bank to safeguard democracy,
caring for those devastated by trauma,
supporting those marred by war & bloodshed,
or resisting rather than resorting to violence…
through love, we have the means to make a difference.

Prayer: Holy One, take my hands, my voice, and my body, and through your grace, use these as a conduit for your love.    When I feel there is nothing I or anyone else can do, remind me that you have appointed this day to do what I can to make a difference in the world around me.    I pray this in all the holy names of God.  Amen.

[1] At 89, Jane Goodall, an English primatologist and anthropologist, is the world’s foremost chimpanzee expert.  Yet she has also championed conservation and animal welfare issues,  serving on the board of the Nonhuman Rights Project, which strives to change the status of animals from property to that of persons.    She is also an outspoken environmental advocate.   

 

 

Rouse Yourself, O Sleeper!

“Why wait for your awakening?
Do you value reasons for staying small more than the light shining through the open door? Forgive yourself…now is the only time you have to be whole.
Now is the sole moment that exists to live in the light of your true nature.
Perfection is not a prerequisite for anything but pain.  So, please, oh please, don’t continue to believe in your stories of deficiency and failure.
This is the day of your awakening.”
Danna Faulds

Rouse yourself, O Sleeper! Please, oh please, don’t fall back back into a dreamless slumber. You have all that you need to stand tall, even now. So do not be afraid. However uncertain the times may be, this day is yours.

Perfection is not a prerequisite. Nor will you be redeemed by it. Step away from the self-defeating narrative you tell yourself. It is not valid, nor was it ever. So, don’t go believing in something that, out of fear, kept you small, unseen, and unthreatening.

Instead, I ask you, that part of me that earnestly desires to awaken, to open your eyes, push back the covers, and step into the light of day. So take heart, my truest and best self. Now is the day of your awakening.

Prayer: Ancient of Days, who fashioned us for more than we could ever hope for or imagine, awaken us, we pray. Prompted by your divine initiative, may our eyes be opened to the possibilities before us, for we are nothing less than the marvelous embodiment of your unfathomable love. We ask this in all the holy names of God. Amen.

 

Awakening

  “I want to do my part,” she said with earnest, “but with so much unraveling taking place across the planet, I wonder if I can do anything.”

  The sage nodded with understanding, “Going in with eyes wide open isn’t cynicism,” he said. “Nor is having severe misgivings about doing your part a sign of hopelessness. What if wanting to do your part despite raging wildfires, upending hurricanes, vitriolic conflicts, and violence inflicted on the most vulnerable is evidence of something more tangible…such as an awakening?”

  “Isn’t everyone awake?” she replied.  

At this, the wizened old man shook his head sadly. “No,” he said. “The awakening I speak of asks something of us. To be awake is to ‘wake up in this world instead of waiting for the next.’ [1] It is choosing to do your part, however small and insignificant that may seem at the time.”  

“But what if others resent it when I do my part?” she responded. “Giving lip service to exercising one’s conscience is one thing. But advocating for those on the margins – the poor, the indigent, the migrant, the homeless, and the welfare of our planet – can get you into trouble. Some are so angry they only see things in terms of winning and losing.”

At this, the sage smiled. “My dear child, if you get into trouble for doing what the conscionable thing to do is, what is the just, the compassionate, and the merciful thing to do, then you will be keeping company with the likes of Francis of Assisi, Harriet Tubman, and Martin Luther King, Jr.” He then added, “Their own awakening meant they had to do their part – however difficult their task and misunderstood they were in their time.” [2]

“Besides,” he added, “you won’t be alone no matter the obstacles. For you will keep company with the saints, the prophets, and the activists who have gone before you and those who stand with you now.”

Closing Prayer: Divine Maker, in the face of so much uncertainty and despair, summon me to keep company with the least of these. Teach me that by doing my part, however seemingly insignificant, I will join those who have been let in on the big divine secret.  That to exercise one’s conscience despite the cost – bestows that most paradoxical of blessings – which is to receive the coming of the Lord. [3]   We offer this in all the holy names of God. Amen. 

[1] Center for Action and Contemplation

[2] https://www.ncronline.org/news/rohr-church-needs-awakening-soul

[] Matthew 24:42 

 

“The Slaughter Right in Front of Us”

  A phrase attributed to Jesus states, “Those who live by the sword, die by the sword.”  While the never-ending violence comes from guns, not swords, I’ve long struggled with Jesus’ words.  Consider that those demanding or legislating the use of these weapons aren’t the ones slaughtered but the innocent: children in classrooms, young children and families in their homes, and shoppers at grocery stores and shopping malls. They are the ones sacrificed, not those responsible for their proliferation.

  Yet imagine if Jesus’ words weren’t directed solely at perpetrators but at those determined to keep it a way of life.   Those who blindly believe that the slaughter of innocents is a necessary price for freedom.   Those who vigorously dismantle any attempt to limit access to high-capacity rifles because they insist it violates personal rights.   Those whose goal is assuaging their base politically no matter the cost.

  Writes author Clint Smith, “I want to walk past the school where my son will attend kindergarten next year and see a place that will keep him safe. But this is impossible. We live in a country …where legislation is written — and erased — by the gun lobby. Where manipulations and distortions of Second Amendment rights prevent politicians from enacting any semblance of sensible laws that would at least attempt to prevent this. Where claims about what our Founders wanted supersede the slaughter we see right in front of us. Where the cocktail of easily accessible guns and the normalizing of extremist views makes nowhere feel safe.”

  Will there ever come a time when enough is enough?   When truly good citizens will triumph over this madness and make our schools, playgrounds, and markets safe again?   When those for whom the common good is not an alien concept but the ethical framework by which society flourishes?

  Thoughts and prayers are not enough.   Nor will those who continue to prolong this carnage ever change.  We need not “live by the sword,” but as responsible citizens and people of goodwill, we can choose to do all we can to rid our nation of this carnage.

   If your representative is beholden to the gun lobby rather than your child’s safety, the power of the vote is in your hands.  If your news station turns a blind eye or even promotes the use of assault weapons, you don’t have to follow them.   And for those who speak of “constitutional rights” as justification for this slaughter, you can rest assured they lost their moral compass ages ago.

   “Hope is a human virtue,” writes Rabbi Jonathan Sacks,  “…at its ultimate is the belief that God is mindful of our aspirations; [and thus] God has given us the means to save us from ourselves; so we are not wrong to dream, wish and work for a better world.”

  May it be so.  

[1] Credit…Léon Cogniet/Musée des Beaux-Arts, via Alamy

[2] The Gospel of Matthew 26:52

[3] Clint Smith, The Atlantic, No Parent Should Have to Live Like This, May 25, 2022

[4] Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, The Dignity of Difference: How to Avoid the Clash of Civilizations (London: Continuum, 2003), 207.

Creation’s Tridiuum

“My kingdom is not of this world,” he said.
Though the Roman prefect before him
proved incapable of wielding anything save violence,
for the rest of us, a universe of possibility opened

By Jesus’ words, he leads us to consider
that his kingdom is not an ethereal cloud,
a remote outpost in the outer reaches of space,
or an unattainable place for the rest of the ordinary lot

No, the realm he spoke of is Creation itself,
a paradise born of Eden, where the command
to “till and keep” meant that the garden never
belonged to us, but God alone.

And You, mistaken for the gardener awash in the first light of morning,
Raise us to take up the mantle as intended from the beginning,
Tending each other, the lands and seas, the valleys and mountains, and all the earth’s creatures, For the Creator’s sake and not our own.

[1]  Sundown on Maundy Thursday to sundown on Easter Sunday is considered the most solemn of the liturgical year.   This three-day period is known as the Easter Triduum.

[2] John 18:36

[3] Genesis 2:15

[4] John 20:15