Upheaval.

Schism.

Violence.

Guns. So damn many guns.
And now, again, dead children.

 

 

How in the world are we supposed to segue from dead children?
Maybe we don’t. Maybe we don’t look away until our hearts break, our blood boils, and we are ready to act.

 

 

Act? Act how? What kind of acts? Acts of revenge?
No. Adding more violence to a world already addicted to violence gets us nowhere. After all, “An eye for an eye only succeeds in making the whole world blind.”

 

 

How about acts of prayer? “Thoughts and prayers” in lieu of action is hollow, but what if our prayer is bold, empowering, preparing us for courageous action?

 

How about acts of storytelling? Such as a story that finds hope and new life in the midst of crippling grief and righteous anger?

 

How about acts of radical hospitality? How about acts of compassion and understanding? And, yes, how about acts of political will?

 

This week let us, together, be honest about our sadness and our anger. Let us also, together, seek the hope we know exists in the love of God as expressed in Jesus and do all we can to incarnate that hope.

 

Pastor Dave will wrestle with all this and more this Sunday, May 29th, in his sermon, “It. Is. Time.”

 

Worship with Woodridge UMC Sundays at 10:00 a.m. in person or online via our Woodridge UMC YouTube channel.