Don't stand by.

It’s been a long, long time comin’, but I know a change is gonna come. Oh, yes, it will. –Sam Cooke


It’s happened again. The national news anchor interrupts our game shows and soap operas with breaking news: More lives lost in another tragic school shooting. Another child killed in a drive-by. A baby girl caught in gang crossfire.

Politicians and “talking heads” line up as the usual rhetoric begins. And for a few days—maybe even a week—we will be, in turns, angry, grieving, sad—and tired. And then, as usual, we begin to rationalize and to forget. There’s nothing I can do, we say. Bad people will always find a way to do bad things. . . .

Let the hand-wringing begin. And the finger-pointing. And the excuse making.

Do not buy in to the lies and politics. The lives of all our children and grandchildren are too precious to allow them to become pawns in political parrying.

Whether you believe the problem lies in too many guns or too few curfews, mental illness or a sick society, doesn’t really matter. The solution is as complex as the problem.

What does matter is taking charge and taking action. Pray. Write letters to your elected representatives and to the local newspapers. Make phone calls. And even more important: go outside and get to know your neighbors. Vow to be part of the village that, together, raises safe, happy children to become responsible, loving adults. Speak up. Speak out. Change is gonna come. Why not here? Why not now? Why not us?


Monday Begin your week in silence. Listen both to your heart and for the voice of the Lord. But don’t stop with prayer. Take action. John 10:10

Tuesday Today, pray for your neighbors, by name if you can. If you don’t know their names, go out and introduce yourself. Reach out. Proverbs 25:18

Wednesday Now pray for your community, by name, and for the community of your friends or family nearby. Contact someone you’ve been thinking about. 1 Corinthians 10:12

Thursday As our cities grow and change, pray for those leading the way. Do you know who your state and national representatives and senators are? Have you contacted them about these tragic events in our nation? Why not today? Romans 2-3

Friday Pray for the leaders of the world, especially our own president and those who believe they want to hold that office. Consider working on a campaign for a candidate you consider worthy. Luke 16:13

Saturday As you pray today for yourself, look deep. Are there biases in your heart that you try to pretend aren’t there? Confess before God and allow God to change your heart. It may be harder than you expect. Rest in grace. Mark 12:28-31

Sunday We work hard at welcoming everyone, because we believe they belong to God (just like us). Celebrate the many, many colors, faces and voices of the Family of Christ. Matthew 25:35-36


When you pray, then move your feet. –African proverb

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stepping back. . . .

Image
Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and with a calm spirit.  Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever,  even if your whole world seems upset.  –St. Francis de Sales This week, I invite you to simply sit in a quiet space with words of hope and promise, and to remember, as Julian of Norwich knew, that all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well . It has been a long, difficult season. Advent and the coming of the Christ is just around the corner. Peace and comfort to your spirit. Monday   “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” Matthew 11:28-30 Tuesday  “Is this not the kind of fast I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6-9 Wednesday  “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the
Read more

It's that time again. . . .

When the seasons shift, even the subtle beginning, the scent of a promised changed, I feel something stir inside me. Hopefulness? Gratitude? Openness?  Whatever it is,  it’s welcome. –Kristin Armstrong No matter what part of the world you call home, this time of year brings big changes. While my friends Down Under are watching sings of new growth emerge from the earth as temperatures rise, here in Ohio, the leaves are turning from green to gold and orange, red and brown. The winds have taken on a chill; clouds hang heavy, like soggy cotton, reminding us that soon and very soon, we are going to see the snow . Always different, yet somehow, the same. We depend on God’s eternal ways, and trust that again this year, winter will follow autumn, just like it should. So why is it, as we anticipate and appreciate changes like these, when it comes to so many things in life we pull up short, wrinkle our noses and say No! No change! I like things just the way they are! It’s t
Read more

Starting again

“This, then, is how you should pray:" --Matthew 6:9a I have been really sensing lately that there is another blog inside me, one focused on prayer.  Oh, I know-- those elephants are all about prayer. Heck, they  are  prayer. And I will continue there, as well. But what I've been feeling is that people-- maybe you--  have always been told, "You should pray," or "Pray about that." But maybe you feel your prayers aren't "good enough," or that it's just too hard, too embarrassing, too [fill in the blank] to pray. Maybe it feels like no one really talks about how  to pray-- except, of course, for Jesus, in Matthew 6 and a couple parallel passages where we are given what's come to be known as The Lord's Prayer. And it is a great prayer. And there are other great prayers, and other ways to pray that do not involve rote. So "my plan" here is to share, hopefully on a weekly or semi-regular basis, a lot of
Read more