Wounded Healers

Morning: Psalm 66; Numbers 21:4-9; John 3:11-17

Evening: Psalm 118; Genesis 3:1-15; I Peter 3:17-22

Last night in my town indigenous survivors of “Indian residential schools” in Canada bore witness to their desire for healing, reconciliation and freedom.  They do not want their suffering to imprison them or others in a spirit of hatred or anger.  Only the Peace of the Creator makes sense to them if we are going to build a better future together.  On this Holy Cross Day, we recall that the righteous suffering of Jesus is for our healing.  Last night, the compassionate and generous spirit of indigenous brothers and sisters made them ‘wounded healers’ for me.  Chi Miigwetch. Thanks be!

The Cross … instrument of Peace

Morning: Psalm 50; Job 29:1; 31:1-23; Acts 15:1-11

Eve of Holy Cross: Psalms 46, 87; I Kings 8:22-30; Ephesians 2:11-22

“The Cross” is probably the most universal and controversial of symbols. It stands not just for the wood of the Cross, but the whole event of Jesus’s suffering and crucifixion.  How can violence bring Peace?  I think it is that somehow Jesus’s suffering shows up the callous emptiness of political violence for what it is … and thus strips it of its power, leaving it ‘naked’.  Gandhi did that with the violent British Raj.  Martin Luther King did it with the violent racism of the American south.  “The Cross” is still the often necessary, courageous and authentic way to Peace. 

Awakened by Jesus

Morning: Psalm 119:49-72; Job 29:1; 30:1-2, 16-31; Acts 14:19-28

Evening: Psalm 49; John 11:1-16

Jesus calls Lazarus’s death a “falling asleep”.  He goes “to waken” Lazarus.  But the story emphasizes this is not only about Lazarus being asleep; it’s about him being dead. Lazarus will finally die of course. So Jesus is not only bringing Lazarus back to life … he is calling all who live in the shadow of death and in the thrall of death’s power … he is calling them to “wake up” and live abundantly. Jesus’s mission is to wake humanity up to the value and importance of life here and now; it is what matters most about him.

To live well, practice Habits of the Heart

Morning: Psalm 45; Job 29:1-20; Acts 14:1-18

Evening: Psalms 47, 48; John 10:31-42

Who does not remember the impact on us all of the hatred, anger and misunderstanding expressed in the mass murder of ‘9/11’?  When religious purists wanted to kill Jesus for claiming to be “the son of God”, he called them to step beyond their narrow thinking into deeper understanding.  Alexis de Tocqueville, 200 years ago, said we need to find the courage to practice certain “Habits of the Heart” if we are to live well together with difference, celebrate our rich diversity, and teach our children the Way of Peace.

This shepherd is the real king

Morning: Psalms 41, 52; Job 32:1-10, 19 – 33:1, 19-28; Acts 13:44-52

Evening: Psalm 44; John 10:19-30

Have you seen idyllic pictures of Jesus the Shepherd carrying a lamb?  These pictures do not show the danger and controversy that surround Jesus.  His story is about his clash with the powerful rulers of this world.  Now Hanukkah is a festival celebrating Judas Maccabeus’s revolt and overthrow of the tyrant Antioches, who had desecrated the Temple.  Jesus chooses Hanukkah to teach in the Temple about God’s rule; he declares himself one with God.  More powerful than human rulers, the Good Shepherd is the real king.  No wonder the powers-that-be want Jesus out of the picture.

Salt that reveals the flavour of a new reality

Morning: Psalms 63, 98; Job 25:1-6; 27:1-6; Revelation 14:1-7, 13

Evening: Psalm 103; Matthew 5:13-20

Jesus calls Israelites to be true to their laws – which they forget or misunderstand.  Jesus’s new reality invites his disciples to be true to his Way … They too forget or misunderstand.  Israel is a revolution to transform the ancient worship of idols; it has lost its way. The Jesus movement is a revolution to replace mere adherence to laws with a deep attention to the Spirit of a new reality; this Jesus movement may also have lost its way.  Jesus calls it back now, as then, to its purpose as salt … revealing the flavour of a new reality.

The good shepherd serves the servants

Morning: Psalms 30, 32; Job 22:1-4,21 – 23:7; Acts 13:26-43

Evening: Psalms 42, 43; John 10:1-18

Jesus’s parable about shepherds (king David was a shepherd) tells how good kings or rulers act. The good ruler acts on behalf of his people; he seeks not his own profit, but their well-being.  It’s easy to recognize a good ruler.  Kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers, premiers, yes and even parents, teachers, managers, coaches, are ‘good shepherds’ when they devote their lives (‘lay down their lives’) to serve others … ‘good shepherds’ serve God by serving people.  Then those people serve the world.  A ‘good shepherd’ serves the servants and keeps them safe.