Category: Kim’s Blog

In the last devotion, there was mention of the situation in the Central African Republic. A severe conflict cast as a battle between Christians and Muslims is going on. In the midst of this, groups calling themselves Christian militias are hunting down and killing Muslims by the thousands. Muslims are trying to flee the country but often cannot find the means to get out and have no where to go outside of the country.

While the Christian militias are anything but Christian, there are other Christians who are making a bold statement embodying the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In one community, a newly ordained Catholic priest went out looking for Muslims and invited them to come to stay at his church. He went door to door and out into the bush to offer sanctuary to the Muslims in his region. Some seven hundred people have accepted his invitation. Father Xavier-Arnauld Fagba explains, “When the Muslims were attacked, the people didn’t help them. That’s when I decided to look for them and bring them here. I did it in the name of my faith. My faith asks me to transcend the most difficult obstacles.” Amen to that! What an incredible witness to the Gospel. Father Fagba’s actions are not popular with the town’s people who are also Christian. His life has been threatened.

In another town, Catholic sisters have taken in more that five hundred Muslims giving them food, water and medicine in addition to sanctuary. In another bold witness, Roman Catholic Archbishop Dieudonne Nzapalainga invited the president of the Islamic Community to come and stay with him. Imam Omar Kobine Layama accepted the offered hospitality. The Archbishop explains, “I live alongside him and I ask Christians to do likewise. Love should be a characteristic of Christians. You can’t call yourself a Christian if you kill your brother. You can’t call yourself a Christian when you hunt him down.”

While the dire circumstances in the Central African Republic have brought out the worst in people, and the worst from Christians, the conflict has also brought out the best of Christianity in the courageous hospitality offered to those who are being persecuted. Drastic situations often do that – either bring out the best or the worst from us. Lent is a time to prepare ourselves spiritually to be strong and true, bold in love and generosity, when we are put to the test.

Prayer: We pray for the people of the Central African Republic. We give thanks for those who are making an inspiring witness to the love that is at the heart of our faith. We pray for all who are victims of violence as well as those who are perpetrating violence. We pray for the strength to make a bold witness for love each and every day in our context whatever that may be. May Jesus be our teacher and our guide. Amen.

Information and the direct quotations in this devotion came from:

Christian militias take bloody revenge on Muslims in Central African Republic
By David Smith, Monday March 10, 2014, theguardian.com

War-torn churches shelter Muslims in Central African Republic
By Fredrick Nzwili, Feb 20, 2014, 2014 Religion News Service, at christiancentury.org

The Central African Republic, a small country in the middle of northern Africa, has been wracked by violence. Just about a year ago, the Seleka, a rebel Muslim group, organized a coup and installed the first Muslim president in a country where the vast majority of the people are Christian. This Muslim take over involved terrorizing and killing Christian men, women, and children.

What is the Christian response in such a situation? Jesus was attacked and he did not respond with violence. His followers were targeted and they did not respond with violence. They did not defend themselves or fight back. They were followers of Jesus. So, they emulated his example. They did not seek vengeance. They did not seek retribution. Their goal was forgiveness because that is what they saw in Jesus and he was their teacher. The early followers of Jesus sought non-violent reconciliation when they were attacked and put to death.

This is hardly the case in the Central African Republic. Most of the Christians are filled with hatred for the Muslims and are viciously seeking vengeance. Christian militia groups are killing men, women, and children. The children are not being caught in the cross fire but specifically targeted. Thousands of Muslims are desperately trying to flee the country. Evidently, the Christian militia groups would rather see the Muslims dead than gone. What kind of expression of Christianity is that?

Here we see the question which eternally rubs Christians: Are we to believe in Jesus or to follow him? The answer could be both. But more often than not, I think Christians today are more concerned with believing in Jesus than living like Jesus. Believing in Jesus involves accepting a set of propositions about Jesus. For some, these may include: That Jesus is the divine son of God. That Jesus physically rose from the dead. That Jesus reigns over the earth with God. And, perhaps, most importantly, that believing these things makes you square with God so that you will spend eternity in the presence of the Divine. In this conception of believing in Jesus, the stress is on what you think about Jesus. The emphasis is not on following his example and living by his teachings. It could be that the members of the Christian militias in the Central African Republic believe all of these things about Jesus and it in no way interferes with their killing spree.

Sadly, I think that most Christians are content with a faith of theological tenets rather than a faith of theological tenets inextricably linked with ethical demands. I believe that true Christianity must involve a theological commitment and an ethical commitment. Our faith requires both. And if our faith is truly grounded in Jesus then we cannot condone or accept violence as a method of working for justice in the world. The means do not justify the ends. When we look at the life of Jesus, we see complete consistency between the means and the ends. That is the only way to live as a Christian with integrity and honesty. We may fall short of our intentions, but we still have the intention. It can be easier to change your mind or your thinking than your behavior. It can be easier to say and sing something about Jesus in church on Sunday that give up your job developing guidance systems for drones.

This Lenten season is a time to examine our faith commitment. What do we believe about Jesus? How are we following him? In what ways can we bring those two commitments closer together?

Prayer: We offer our prayers for the people of the Central African Republic. In the spirit of Jesus, we pray for the Muslims and for the Christians. Surely there is pain in the heart of God over all the killing that has taken place. We pray that the Christians find a path to forgiveness, the heart of the Christian life. We pray that they find true freedom in non-violence. We struggle as well with our desire for retribution and the use of violence to resolve differences. We pray that we, too, may find the path to forgiveness. We pray that we may find true freedom in non-violence. May we believe in Jesus enough to truly follow him. May we follow Jesus enough to truly believe. Amen.

I recently got an email from the Red Cross asking for donations of clothing, etc. After the information about when they would be picking up in our neighborhood, there was the following description of the work of the Red Cross:

Every day the Red Cross assists people who’ve lost their homes due to fire, floods, and other emergencies. We are all powerless against the forces of nature, of war, of life-threatening accidents or of diseases. Through the Red Cross, we are all empowered to change lives. Thank you for your support as the Red Cross embarks on this new initiative to further provide service in our community.

Powerless. That word caught my eye. Powerless over the forces of nature? Powerless over war? Powerless over life threatening accidents? Powerless over disease? This is a far too apathetic view of life for me. I think human beings have been given a lot of power and there are many ways that we can influence all of these things. We are not simply hapless victims.

Scientists tell us that many of the weather related problems that are experienced today are indications of global climate change which humans are definitely able to influence and impact. We are not powerless.

World leaders, diplomats, church leaders and others have the ability to guide situations of conflict and seek peaceful solutions. Humans have created war. People perpetuate war. There is much room for human influence when it comes to war. We cannot say that we are powerless over war.

And what about life threatening accidents? Yes, many tragedies occur that are accidents pure and simple. But many things also happen that could be prevented such as deaths from drunk driving. Or operating faulty equipment. Or failing to take proper safety precautions. Or not changing the battery in a smoke alarm. There are so many ways that life threatening accidents can be prevented or certainly diminished. We are not totally powerless over such occurrences.

Now we turn to disease. Yes, people get random illnesses and diseases that cannot be accounted for. It happens all the time. But medical science is helping us to understand the many ways that we can prevent disease and health problems involving diet, exercise, and healthy habits. When someone who has smoked cigarettes for decades gets lung cancer, it is sad, but can we say that the person was powerless over the disease? No.

Terrible tragedies occur. Things happen that we have no control over. Yesterday I mentioned our son’s friend that was hit by two cars and killed. That is a heartbreaking catastrophe. But there are many ways that we can exert our power as individuals and as a society to foster life and well-being. As the Red Cross says, “we are all empowered to change lives.” We do not need to accept powerlessness. In fact, our faith teaches us that we should not accept powerlessness. Our faith tradition promotes proactive agency and involvement. We all have power. A lot of power. This Lenten season is a time to think about how we can use that power for good in the world.

Prayer: We pray for all those who suffer the ravages of war and weather, disease and devastation. May we reach out to those who are suffering with love and compassion. Help us to recognize our power to change the world, to work for good, and to take care of ourselves and one another. May we love ourselves, each other, and the world as we are loved by God. May we care for each other as God’s precious family. Amen.

Last night Pat McLean was killed crossing Gulf Boulevard in St. Pete Beach. Pat was a friend of our son, Malcolm. They were on a recreation soccer team together years ago and both went to St. Petersburg High School. They were seniors. Malcolm saw Pat at school Friday and then he woke up then next morning to a message that Pat had been killed. Of course, this is heart breaking for Pat’s family and loved ones and friends.

Tragedies like this happen in the course of life. It is awful for those involved. And an abrupt death is usually much harder on the family and friends than a lingering death. There is no time for good byes, for resolving unfinished business, for making amends. Again, not so much a problem for those who die, but perhaps very difficult for those left behind.

The Lenten season as we devote ourselves to spiritual growth, we can think about how we are living our lives, conducting our relationships, and taking care of things. The saying reminds us, Live each day as if it were your last. While that may sound morbid to some, it is really a concept filled with love.

If you live each day as your last, you will apologize where needed and contribute to needed reconciliation. Then hurt feelings are not left behind. Loved ones are not left with unresolved issues. What a gift to those you care about. If you live each day as your last, you will be more judicious about what you get upset about thinking: “This is my last day on earth, do I really want to make an issue out of this? Does this really matter that much?” Again, that thoughtfulness could truly mean a lot to those you love. If you think of this day as your last, you will want to take advantage of the opportunity to express love and gratitude to those who are important to you. There are also the practicalities. Are your “affairs” in order? Finances? End of life wishes? Death and burial plans? Wills? Things well organized and easily accessible such as insurance policies, banking statements, and other legal documents? This is another important way we can show love to our families and friends. It will make things so much easier for them especially if they are stunned by grief.

We can also think about what we love and what has meaning for us. Do we spend our days, our time, and our money, in ways that reflect what is important to us and what we care about? If this turned out to be your last day on this earth, would you still chose to spend it watching old episodes of Full House? Would you write that letter to a friend? Would you do a crossword puzzle? Would you go out to lunch with your pastor? Would you plant that tree? Would you clean the bathroom? Would you finish that painting? Maybe. Maybe not. But I think that we want to invest our lives in what truly has meaning for us. That is a legacy worth leaving our loved ones.

Thinking about each day as our last is a way to frame living out love for our families, for friends, and for the world. It’s a way to think about what really matters. It is a way to cherish each day as the gift and treasure that it is. It is a way to encourage the light of Christ to shine through us out into the world while we are here in the world.

Prayer: So often we get caught up in things that don’t really matter. We may postpone doing what we know we should be doing to take care of ourselves, our relationships, and the world. We may focus our attention and our energy on things which don’t really matter. Out of love for those we care about and out of gratitude for the gift of this precious life, we pray for the grace to live each and every day to its fullest. Jesus never let an opportunity pass by to do what is good and right and true. May we let him guide us. Amen.

Roundup is a toxic weed killer. It is touted because to use it, you spray the top of the plant, and the plant is killed down to the roots. The plant spreads the toxins through its system and the whole thing dies.

While I am explaining the workings of Roundup, I am not promoting its use. Those toxins are then in the air, on the ground, and in the earth which can have other damaging effects. I try to avoid using Roundup if at all possible.

But there is the issue of toxins. We are told that toxins build up in our bodies; throughout our flesh and blood and tissue. Evidently, we need to get rid of those toxins to be healthy. The toxins come from the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat as well as other sources. We may even be taking in the toxin Roundup someway somehow! If it kills a plant, it certainly cannot be good for us.

A health practitioner was talking with me recently about toxins and the need to rid the body of toxins. Articles in magazines, newsletters, and on websites talk about cleansing the body of toxins. All things considered, I am a very healthy eater. I am vegetarian. I try to limit my consumption of eggs and dairy. I seldom consume processed food. I buy fruits and vegetables and tofu, and I try to buy organic much of the time. I do a lot of cooking involving a lot of chopping even to the point of getting tendonitis! So I can’t say that I am taking in a lot of toxins through my food. Through air and water, some, perhaps, but not much.

So does that mean I am clean, pure, unpolluted? Hardly. In the gospels we are told that Jesus said it is not what goes into the body that pollutes it but what comes out of the body that pollutes it. Well, there I have plenty of impurities; things I have said and done that are far less than pure and unselfish. Things that are hurtful. Attitudes that are damaging to others and myself.

Lent is a time for us to round up our toxins and purify, cleanse, and evict them. It is a time to forgive ourselves and others for toxic behavior in the past. It is a time to clean the slate, so to speak. This is a time to let go of what is holding us back, including regrets and past failures and mistakes. We cannot rewrite the past, but we can construct a new future. In this Lenten season, may we detoxify of what truly defiles us.

Prayer: We pray for a pure heart. A heart ready, willing, and open to be filled with Divine Love and that alone. May we have the courage to clean out the toxins from our hearts and our lives so that God’s love may live in us, bring us health and wholeness, and through us, bless the world. Amen.