A reading from Good Shepherd’s August 14, 2022 Worship service
Spill the Beans lectionary
Violence
The Bible says
it is okay to use violence,
that nations are built on war,
that God sides with the victorious,
that might makes right.
But the Bible also says
blessed are the peacemakers,
lament the tragedy of warfare,
turn the other cheek,
that God inflicts defeat on the faithless.
So, Lord, which is it?
Slavery
Slave owners were often Christian,
using the Bible to defend their practice,
building vast wealth
on the backs of others,
dining in polite company
while their hands were dripping
in the blood of the enslaved.
But slave abolitionists were often Christian,
using the Bible to motivate their actions,
seeking the common humanity
in all people, created in God’s image,
and motivated by justice for all.
So, Lord, which is it?
Slave owners were often Christian,
using the Bible to defend their practice,
building vast wealth
on the backs of others,
dining in polite company
while their hands were dripping
in the blood of the enslaved.
But slave abolitionists were often Christian,
using the Bible to motivate their actions,
seeking the common humanity
in all people, created in God’s image,
and motivated by justice for all.
So, Lord, which is it?
Power
The Church is bedecked in gold and velvet,
rich artwork and ancient treasures,
connected to high places,
indulged by the powerful
for their own ends.
But the Church is counter-cultural,
living with people on the margins,
ignored by the majority,
disdained by many,
yet vital for those in need,
those seeking belonging,
those with love to offer
and those open to receive.
So, Lord, which is it?