People who Prey

There are people who read their Bibles and pray every day.
Then there are people who read their Bibles and prey every day.

The Bible is filled with stories about predators. Joseph preyed on the Egyptians. Solomon preyed on the Canaanites then on his own people. Many characters in Jesus’s parables prey on the weak, the poor, and the marginalized.

The ruling class during Jesus’s time preyed on the masses using the temple system, taxation, and state-sanctioned executions. Nothing has really changed.

Predators are usually people we look up to, people we respect, people we trust, people we idolize.

Thus, they are able to take advantage of us, betray us, dehumanize us... We know them. They need to be stopped.

Two of the world's most dangerous predators are popular heads of state. Both are also sexual predators.

They need to be stopped. Right now!

If Jesus Showed Up Today

If Jesus showed up today, he will not look anything like the Jesus many of us preach, teach, and sing about.
If Jesus showed up today, he will probably be murdered by people in power within a year, even less.
If Jesus showed up today, churches and institutions that bear his name will have no place for him.
If Jesus showed up today and challenged us to sell everything we have and give the proceeds to the poor, most of us will think he's mad.
If Jesus showed up today and called us to leave everything behind and follow him, we will not.

The truth is Jesus does show up every day and we, those who who are so proud to call ourselves Christian, refuse to recognize him.

Among the otherized and the odorized. Among the displaced and dispossessed. Among the poorest of the poor. Among people living with HIV and AIDS. Among the LGBT. Among those whose only hope is God.

Jesus shows up. Every day.