The joy that Jesus offers his disciples is his own joy, which flows from his intimate communion with the One who sent him. It is a joy that does not separate happy days from sad days, successful moments from moments of failure, experiences of honor from experiences of dishonor, passion from resurrection. This joy is a divine gift that does not leave us during times of illness, poverty, oppression, or persecution. It is present even when the world laughs or tortures, robs or maims, fights or kills. It is truly ecstatic, always moving us away from the house of fear into the house of love, and always proclaiming that death no longer has the final say, though its noise remains loud and its devastation visible. The joy of Jesus lifts up life to be celebrated.
“When another person makes you suffer, it is because he* suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That’s the message he is sending.”—Thich Nhat Hanh
As I look at the hatred, born of fear, in this country and world today, my heart breaks. It especially breaks as I look at sectors of the church and society who peddle in the fear of anyone who doesn’t fit their mold. All over this world, the rights of women, BIPOC (black indigenous people of color), and my LGBTQAI+ siblings are being stripped away at the local, state, and national level. I wonder what this has to do with the christian faith they purport to hold. I don’t recognize the Jesus whom they serve.
In his book, Jesus and the Disinherited, the African-American theologian and mystic Howard Thurman reflected on that question in the opening chapter of the book. This reflection can also be found in the book A Strange Freedom: The Best of Howard Thurman on Religious Experience and Public Life (p. 132)
Many and varied are the interpretations dealing with the teachings and the life of Jesus of Nazareth. But few of those interpretations deal with those who stand, at a moment in human history, with their backs against the wall…
Too often the price exacted by society for security and respectability is that the Christian movement in its formal expression must be on the side of the strong against the weak. This is a matter of tremendous significance, for it reveals to what extent a religion that was born of a people acquainted with persecution and suffering has become the cornerstone of a civilization and of nations whose very position in modern life has too often been secured by a ruthless use of power applied to weak and defenseless peoples.
As a cisgender white male, I must first recognize my own privilege. Next I must ask who I am truly following. Finally, I must ask do I model the life Jesus called his disciples to model. How will I love God, my neighbor, and even my enemy? Where will I stand in this moment in history? I believe that I must stand with those who have their backs up against the wall.
“If someone greets me with a nice smile and expresses a genuinely friendly attitude, I appreciate it very much. Though I may not know that person or even understand their language, my heart is instantly gladdened. On the other hand, if kindness is lacking, even in someone from my own culture whom I have known for many years, I feel it. Kindness and love, these are very precious.”—HH The Dalai Lama, How to Be Compassionate
The basic fact is that Christianity as it was born in the mind of this Jewish thinker and teacher appears as a technique of survival for the oppressed. That it became, through the intervening years, a religion of the powerful and the dominant, used sometimes as an instrument of oppression, must not tempt us into believing that it was thus in the mind and life of Jesus. ‘In him was life; and the life was the light of men.’ Wherever his spirit appears, the oppressed gather fresh courage; for he announced the good news that fear, hypocrisy, and hatred, the three hounds of hell that track the trail of the disinherited, need have no dominion over them. — Howard Thurman, A Strange Freedom: The Best of Howard Thurman on Religious Experience and Public Life
“At the heart of each major religion is the vision of peace, the idea of reconciled humanity, the way of compassion and love and justice, the fundamental truth of nonviolence.”—John Dear
“When we don’t wonder what the other is thinking or feeling, or where the pain comes from, when we don’t interrogate our presuppositions, our hearts close to one another. This leaves us less understanding of other perspectives, more entrenched in our own dogmas and narratives, and more susceptible to dangerous, fringe views. A society devoid of empathy is at great risk of falling into patterns of dehumanization that have, throughout history, led to the most extreme acts of violence, including genocide.”—Rabbi Sharon Brous
Dear God,
Speak gently in my silence.
When the loud outer noises of my surroundings
and the loud inner noises of my fears
keep pulling me away from you,
help me to trust that you are still there
even when I am unable to hear you.
Give me ears to listen to your small, soft voice saying:
“Come to me, you who are overburdened, and I will give you rest . . .
for I am gentle and humble of heart.” Let that loving voice be my guide.
Amen.
Verse of the day
They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace. They acted shamefully; they committed abomination, yet they were not ashamed.
– Jeremiah 6:14-15a
Voice of the day
What power do you have that you have not accessed? What will you do with the sadness, the rage?
– Cole Arthur Riley
Prayer of the day
Today, we harness the power we have not accessed. We channel our sadness, our rage, into acts of justice.
As I read the appalling and deeply disturbing account of former UN Ambassador Nikki Hailey’s act of signing bombs that were destined to be used against the people of Gaza, my heart sank and anger arose. To write such statements like “Finish them!” is beyond horrendous. I remember being appalled when I was a military chaplain and read accounts of other chaplains writing scripture verses on munitions that were used against the “enemy” in Operations Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), and Iraqi Freedom. Really chaplains? Really ambassador? How does this in any way, shape, or form represent the Constitution of the United States that we swore to protect and defend? How could these actions possibly represent our calling?
Returning to the story about the actions of former Ambassador Hailey: What happened on October 7, 2023 when Hamas was a gross, immoral, and inexcusable violation of international law. The Netanyahu regime’s response is also a gross, immoral, and inexcusable violation of international law. In all of my studies in the rules of war that I did during my time as a USAF Chaplain, these actions are against all of the standards and laws of armed conflict.
How have we come to the point where such actions like these are called patriotic? How does one justify the wholesale slaughter of innocent women, and children? I really don’t know how this has happened. I do know that this isn’t what the Jesus whom I follow calls us to do. In his book New Seeds of Contemplation, Thomas Merton wrote The root of all war is fear: not so much the fear men have of one another as the fear they have of everything. (p. 112)
Hatred is born of fear and I see this being manipulated and used in both political and religious discourse via media, social media, and in basic human interactions. Another spiritual mentor of mine had the following to say about hate.
Hate is another of the hounds of hell that dog the footsteps of the disinherited in season and out of season. During times of war, hatred becomes quite respectable, even though it has to masquerade often under the guise of patriotism. — Howard Thurman (Jesus and the Disinherited, p. 64)
There are no easy answers to the questions that bubble up from the very center of my being. It is tempting to say: “Hey Michael, you are retired from the military and from the pastorate; let others take up these issues and concerns.” But I can’t do that and continue to say that I am a Christ-follower. While this blog won’t reach a huge number of people, I do hope that it helps those who do read it to know that they aren’t alone.
My prayer is that we can each do what we can to make a difference in our own lives and neighborhoods. In the words of that old campfire song: It only takes a spark to get a fire going, and soon all those around, will warm up in its glowing. That’s how it is with God’s love, once you’ve experienced it. You’ll want to spread, to everyone, you’ll want to pass it on. Dear reader, will you join me in making a difference right here and right now by sharing that divine spark of love?
