The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life,
but the wrath of God remains upon him. (Jn 3:35-36)
The writer is telling the members of the Johannine Community that there are consequences for not obeying the Son who has been sent. Our choices, for better or worse, have consequences. Continue reading
The readings from Acts and John 3:16 are all about our discipleship. The four walls of a prison and the threat of death could not contain the Apostles and their zeal for preaching the Good News. The Johannine Community is reminded that God so loved the world. God’s love for the world is so much more than a sign at a football game. God’s love for the world is transformative—it transforms us.
We must answer the altar call of divine Love. We can only become what we already are by responding to the loving call of God. But, unlike many fundamentalists, our response does not end with accepting the altar call. The Johannine Community is reminded that it must believe the Good News and then act accordingly. Continue reading
Writing for Sojourners, biblical scholar Walter Bruggemann (“From Anxiety and Greed to Milk and Honey,” February 2009) contrasts our culture with the culture of the Kingdom. Our culture is characterized by autonomy (American individualism), anxiety and greed. As Francis of Assisi warned us, “If you have possessions, you will have to have arms to defend them.” Even if we do not personally resort to arms when it comes to our possessions, we are anxious about what we shall eat and wear and save. “Beset by anxiety” we get caught up in consumerism and acquisitiveness. Thus, autonomy, anxiety and greed permeate our culture and direct our lives. Continue reading
Easter is about seeing—seeing in a new way. The New Testament accounts of the resurrection help us see anew if we read them carefully. If we leave aside any conceptions about a resuscitated body and dwell on Jesus’ spiritual presence to his closest followers and their witness, we will come to see anew. Spiritual presence as the Celts remind us is real presence.
The accounts are pretty straight forward. A grieving Mary of Magdala comes to the tomb. It is empty. She still does not see. She stays at the tomb when the guys—who still do not see after entering the tomb—go back into hiding behind locked doors for fear of the Judeans and Romans. Mary’s faithful persistence pays off. She experiences the Risen Jesus and runs off to tell the others. They discount her experience. Then, gradually, on a series of first days—new life, new seeing—the rest, except for Thomas, come to see. Thomas becomes a witness for us who, not having seen, still believe that Jesus is risen to new life and that we all share in that life through the power of the Spirit. Jesus breathes new life into us and we become Jesus to the world.
The clarion call of Easter is clear. Wake up! See! See anew! Come out from behind locked doors. Abandon fear and dread. Continue reading
Good news. As we were preparing to set out for Galilee, Mary of Magdala came running to us. The tomb was empty.
Share the Good News. Live as Jesus lived. Be compassionate toward all, especially the least among you.
His Place Ministries Homeless Shelter
[The picture is from His Place Ministries in Melbourne, FL. As I went through this homeless shelter on the Ecumenical Good Friday Walk, it seemed to me that having to seek shelter here was like being outcast, abandoned and in a tomb—a fit image for Holy Saturday.]
It is morning. My head is groggy. The last few days have been a blur.
Last Sunday was so spectacular. Jesus mocked imperial Rome by riding into Jerusalem on the colt of an ass—not a war horse but a lowly donkey. I should have known that this was the final straw. When he ran the money changers out of the Temple, we cheered but the Romans and their High priest collaborators were furious. We thought things would cool down after Jesus raised his friend, Lazarus, from the dead. Fleeing to sanctuary in Ephraim seemed to have served its purpose. Continue reading
Cite Soliel-Haiti
[Pictures–Icon from Palestine-Mary holds Jesus and a pomegranate–bittersweet. Cite Soleil-
Haiti slum.]
There are so many things we can say about this day. Jesus, the nonviolent one, suffered at the hands of the priestly caste and the empire. Anselm’s atonement theory, which has been carried too far, would have us believe that Jesus suffered and died to forgive our sins in order to appease an angry “Father” God. When we just think about it logically, what God would have his son die in order to take away the wrath incurred by our sins? We should have abandoned that theory when God told Abraham not to sacrifice Isaac.
Who then is God and what is Good Friday all about? First of all, God had repeatedly told us that God does not want sacrifice. He wants mercy and justice and compassion. Jesus came to live and die so he could show us the face of a merciful, compassionate Abba God. This is a God who loves us in spite of our sins and failures. Second, Jesus has told us that God always welcomes back the prodigal with open arms. God has repeatedly told us that, while loving all people, God has a special preference for the poor and oppressed. Third, God always valued the widows, orphans, and immigrants throughout the Old Testament. Continue reading
Consider joining this party. 
The Servant Song from Isaiah (42:1-7) describes the messiah as one who would bring justice to the nations. Justice and mercy (chesed) are the key biblical values. Justice denotes right order. The messiah will restore right order-the right order that was lost in the Garden. Chesed is the ever-abiding love and presence of God.
The last part of the song was on the scroll Jesus read in the synagogue. It was the core of his inaugural address. Jesus clearly identified, not with a kingly, military Davidic messiah, but rather with a Servant messiah—a messiah who would suffer, who would overcome sin and death through the cross. Continue reading
Via Doloroso Station Jerusalem
It is Palm Sunday. We begin with triumph and end with utter tragedy. Jesus had spoken truth to power and the religious leaders and the Romans had had enough. The ideological battle between empire and the Kin-dom is entering its final stage.
Many times this week, in church and in other fora, we will hear, “Jesus, died for our sins.” Will we never move past atonement theory? A loving God does not demands the son’s death to appease anger over our sins. Jesus died for what he lived for—justice. He had the courage to speak truth to power. Jesus died because he posed a threat to empire and priestly domination. Jesus lived to show us how to live. Luke’s account of the passion includes a vignette on service leadership. Continue reading