paravanes:meditations

The famous Christmas hymn, "O Holy Night", features these words: "and in his name all oppression shall cease " When we use the modern term "will cease", the message remains unchanged. But what is the message? Is there evidence all oppression has ceased? Jesus' work and message have been known for over two thousand years.  Although one could make a case for much good having been done in his name, one could also make an equally good case that much evil and oppression have been put forward by those using his name. Is there a meaningful, honest message in the words of the hymn? Yes. Yes, there is. The conquering and cessation of oppression can happen individually and collectively. Jesus Christ offers freedom from individual oppression as he changes our character and nature and in doing so, he inspires us to change our communities and neighborhoods and our circles of family and friends. He gives us sensitivity to the needs of others and empathy ...

The true message of Advent and Christmas: God is with us. What does this really mean in our daily experience? It means God chose us and left nothing undone to restore us to connection and fellowship and conversation and happiness in and with him. It means God did all of the "heavy lifting": showing up as one of us, living like we live, suffering with us, dying for us, and resurrecting to show us our future. It means our "job" now is to trust and obey. When you really trust someone, it isn't impossible or even unpleasant to do what they ask. You know they're on your side, wishing and working only good for you. God with us. You can count on him. He's proven his heart and love for us.

 For those wanting to know, there are two important lessons to be learned from what's publicly known about the Shanquella Robinson story. If you're not familiar with her story, google her name. Some commentators have suggested Shanquella was betrayed by friends. Others have suggested Shanquella did not properly vet those presenting themselves as friends. Regardless of the accuracy of these observations, I'm offering a few life lessons highlighted by her story. First: everyone you spend time with doesn't have to be considered or trusted as a "friend. " It's perfectly ok to consider and accept some people as associates or acquaintances. You interact differently based on the nature of your relationship. You can have mutual help, enjoyment, and support from folks who are acquaintances, associates, or friends. These different relationships have different boundaries and ground rules. As long as you accept, honor, and respect these differences, you'll probabl...

As "God with us", Jesus teaches us self care. One of those lessons is: you and I are not too busy to pray. As you read the gospels, you will become aware of how busy Jesus was. Crowds constantly followed him. His disciples asked endless questions. Religious leaders regularly challenged and confronted him. He taught crowds of people, often in unconventional locations. Sick people constantly sought him out for healing  In Luke 5:15 and 16, we find this statement: "...crowds of people came to hear him and be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed ." Because the Son of God regularly and often took time to step aside from the busyness of his life to pray, you and I don't have a reason to avoid prayer. Praying in church is not a substitute for stepping from our daily activities to listen to God and to speak to God. No matter what I'm doing or how busy I am, I am never too busy to pray. I may not want to pray. I...