To know God is to do justice. To recognize this implacable moral imperative of the faith represents the kind of good religion that mixes well with politics. — Credo, p. 51
The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. — Letter from Birmingham Jail as found on p. 97 of the book, I Have A Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World
Compassion and justice are companions, not choices. — Credo, p. 51
Am I my brother’s keeper? No, I am my brother’s brother or sister. Human unity is not something we are called upon to create, only to recognize. — Credo, p. 33
Tolerance and passivity are a deadly combination. Together they allow us to tolerate the intolerable, to ignore the power of anger in works of love; for if you lessen your anger at the structures of power, you lower your love for the victims of power. — Credo, p. 27
Verse of the day
Be careful, then, how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil.
– Ephesians 5:15-16
Voice of the day
Living between the steps means we do not just follow the death march around us. It means we are responsible for making life out of every single moment.
– Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart
Prayer of the day
In a world full of distractions and hurt, help us to intentionally live out each step and each decision.
“From not knowing what is enough.
Great conflict arises from wanting too much.
When we know when enough is enough,
There will always be enough.”
It is clear that the greatest evils of humanity are due to lack of love and that the New Testament’s “miraculous catch” (see Luke 5) was not the haddock and shad and whatever else Peter and the rest of them caught that day, but the fact that Peter and the rest were caught up, even as we are, in the net of Christ’s love. — Credo, p. 25
In the stillness of the quiet, if we listen, we can hear the whisper of the heart giving strength to weakness, courage to fear, hope to despair. — The Mood of Christmas
Gratitude flows from the recognition that all that is, is a divine gift born out of love and freely given to us so that we may offer thanks and share it with others.
The more we touch the intimate love of God which creates, sustains, and guides us, the more we recognize the multitude of fruits that come forth from that love. They are fruits of the Spirit, such as: joy, peace, kindness, goodness, and gentleness. When we encounter any of these fruits, we always experience them as gifts.
When, for instance, we enjoy a good atmosphere in the family, a peaceful mood among friends, or a spirit of cooperation and mutual support in community, we intuitively know that we did not produce it. It cannot be made, imitated, or exported. To people who are jealous, and who would like to have our joy and peace, we cannot give a formula to produce it or a method to acquire it. It is always perceived as a gift, to which they only appropriate response is gratitude.
Pastor Michael Moore's Blog 