NOT ONE STONE WILL BE LEFT

Sunday's lection reminds us of Herod's Temple that, according to Jesus, was built from the offerings of widows and other very poor people.

"Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down!" And Jesus was right.

We are uncomfortable with a Jesus who speaks of doom, destruction, and death. We do not wish to see Jesus driving out those who were selling and buying in the Temple, including the moneychangers. We do not want to acknowledge that Jesus can be angry.

We are so used to the Jesus we have created in our image. We are so used to the huge cathedrals and grand buildings we have created to make us comfortable when we come together in his name. We have even come up with "Sunday best" attire, air conditioning, and exclusive seating inside these walls we have built as imposing monuments of our faith in God. Remember Jesus’s words, "Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down."

Friends, our comforts have made us forget that the church is not a building. It never was. It never will be. It has always been people: people who love; people who serve; people who offer their lives so that others may live, like Jesus did.

#IAmWithJesus
#EndTheCultureOfImpunity
#FreePalestine

#JusticeForMyanmar
#GodsReignIsForChildren
#LetGraceBeTotal


*photo, The Western or "Wailing Wall" in the Old City of Jerusalem (I took this picture in August 2016).