Zeph. 3:14-20
Titus 1:1-16
Luke 1:1-25
Reading today's lesson from Luke, it immediately jumps out at you: "In the days of King Herod . . . " The power of the system that oppressed so many is named straight out. The whole story is placed in the context of that power.
And then we get the religious leader Zechariah who can't quite believe what God will do. God goes ahead and does it anyway! The story will continue with Mary facing the same messenger and believing that nothing will be impossible with God. And she will proclaim what seems impossible: the lowly lifted up and the powerful brought low.
I cannot help but think that Trinity Wall Street and Bishop Packard represent two similar responses to God's message. Can we all believe that nothing will be impossible with God?
From one of my favorite blogs: The Friends of Jake:
Lessons from Duarte Square: More on Trinity Wall Street
" . . . a beautiful church building with an endowment to maintain it is not a
bad thing in and of itself. A beautiful liturgical space that offers
spiritual sanctuary is not a bad thing. Taking steps to protect it is
not a bad thing either. The question surely comes about how much is
needed, and whether or not "building the endowment" takes precedence
over justice. Does it become about the money as an end, rather than a
means?
Bishop Gene Robinson famously says something like this: "Pulling
drowning people out of a river is a good thing. But it's even more
important to go upstream and stop the person who's throwing them in the
water." Similarly, feeding the hungry is a good thing. But it's even more important to stop the policies that are driving them to hunger. As an institution (and yes, one with beautiful buildings and endowments, and that's okay),
TEC has a strong voice, large in influence and bigger than its numbers.
It's time, surely to use that voice for prophecy. Even if it costs.
As one commenter on Bp Packard's blog wrote,
Upon seeing you in the crowd I was confused why a Bishop was among our ranks in full regalia, but when the stairs went up and I saw you climbing into the park, tears of joy started streaming down my face. I cannot describe the hope and inspiration you gave me in that moment.
Read the whole thing here:
http://friends-of-jake.blogspot.com/2011/12/lessons-from-duarte-square-more-on.html
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