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Rivals or Neighbors
In Isaiah, the Lord God declares that the Chosen people shall soon “rejoice” in victory, “as people make merry when dividing spoils” in war. Rival Assyrians, foreigners, will be crushed. It will happen when the Chosen warriors trust in their Lord God and stop trusting in the foreigners. Foreigners, especially those living among them,…
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Obeying the ICE-Cold Will of God
The Old Testament relays a belief in the will of God and our duty to obey it. Isaiah believes in the importance of obeying the “will” of God to make his Chosen nation the “salvation” of all the nations. The Gospel reading instead addresses the freedom associated with Jesus. John the Baptist is reminding…
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Thoughts and Prayers for Our Beloved
“After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved.” A Spirit in the form…
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Darkness of Our Time Eclipsed by Light
“Magi from the east… seek the newborn king.” “We saw his star at its rising” they tell King Herod. “King Herod was greatly troubled.” He believes Jesus wants his throne and will fight him to keep it. Herod plans to kill the child. From the Gospel we know of the darkness the warmaker King…
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Gathering a Holy Family
The Gospel tells us Jesus is born into a world made divisive, abusive, and deadly by rulers. The rulers are dominating the people, threatening Magi, and killing children. Jesus’ father, Joseph, understands the danger. He gathered his family together “and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt.” Given the…
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Authoring New Life: Challenge
We feel new life growing within us and realize we will face challenges in sharing the child we bring to birth. In today’s readings, neither Isaiah nor Paul give priority to new life. They give priority to old beliefs about obedience to the “House of David.” Paul’s priority on obedience to the warrior David…
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Authoring New Life: Future
We feel new life growing within us and are considering future consequences of our sharing new life. Will the future treat new life with kindness? Is there evidence instead the future will treat new life with vindictiveness? The Old Testament includes an ethic of vindictiveness. Isaiah and the Psalmist both write of an image…
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Authoring New Life: Past
We feel new life growing within us and want to be guided by peaceful people from our past who have shaped us. The prophet Isaiah writes about a past patriarch, King David. King David is a warmaker who teaches us to “strike the ruthless” and “slay the wicked” erroneously believing peace will follow. The…
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Authoring New Life: Homemaking
We feel new life growing within us and want to make a loving home from which to share our new life with the world. The Psalmist and the prophet Isaiah write about their love of the “house of the Lord.” We are advised to make our house just like the “house of God.” A…
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Freedom From Kings
The Old Testament reading describes the establishment of holy rule, “All the elders of Israel” stood “before the Lord” to “anoint David King.” The king takes command of the army and its soldiers, tortures enemies, and kills people. It is the command king takes in the Gospel, specifically torturing and killing Jesus. As Jesus…