September 25, 2020

​“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but the spirit of power, of courage and resolution, to meet difficulties and dangers; the spirit of love which will carry us through opposition.” 2 Timothy 1:7

Dearly Beloved,

Last Sunday, I encouraged you to not give up your fight, even in the midst of these discouraging times. When we decide to follow Jesus Christ, we make a commitment to live into Christ’s call to working for a more peaceful and just world for all; this means fighting for the oppressed and for the sanctity of Creation, even when we are weary. We are indeed weary.

On the surface, this fight may appear like mixing politics and religion. Preachers must always be mindful that we walk a fine line when we preach the Gospel, which has always been provocative. The Gospel of Jesus Christ even today remains scandalous because it upends principalities and powers, which are always political.

There is a difference, however, 
between lovingly speaking up for the values of the Gospel as we have heard them, 
and shouting into the divisive partisan politics of our days. 
There is a difference between
 “speaking the truth in love,” 
and contorting scripture to support our existing political persuasions.
We must always go back to the scandalous Gospel of Jesus Christ as our starting point,
not to our own egos.

Just the other day, we received yet another piece of heartbreaking news: there will be no charge in the killing of Breona Taylor, and two more police officers have been killed. This tragic loss of three innocent lives, the global outcry of God’s people for the dignity of black and brown people, the widening political divisions in our country, and the void of peace and justice throughout our world brings us to our knees...

And on our knees in prayer, may we find the strength to make it one more day, to fight one more day for ourselves, for our children and families, for stewardship Creation, for the uplifting of the poor, for the sanctity of black lives, for gender equality, for the turning of swords into plowshares, for the healing of all that divides, and for a more just and peaceful world.

Much heart, 
Rev. Anna Kreisle Humble