God is with the vulnerable and the poor. God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunities and lives. God is with us, if we are with them.
04214 – Dear Christian…
Dear Christian, God doesn’t need your defense. Jesus doesn’t need your defense. Christianity doesn’t need your defense. The Bible doesn’t need your defense. The Ten Commandments don’t need your defense. The poor, the powerless, the marginalized, the vulnerable, and...
03912 – The Impacts of Climate Change
Every major faith tradition calls us to care for the earth. And every major faith tradition calls us to care for our neighbors and those who are most vulnerable. And climate change impacts both of those.
03744 – Strongman vs. Scapegoat
Beware systems and identities that need: 1. A Strongmanand2. A Scapegoat There will be no end of violence when these two exist. They legitimate and fuel each other. Jesus demonstrates how demonically futile the Strongman/Scapegoat mechanism is in his death and...
03596 – Our Beautiful & Troubled World
As we move through this beautiful and troubled world, may we vow to be a beacon of peace, a fearless carrier of respect and lovingkindness for all life, a teller of truth, a voice for justice, a protector of those who are vulnerable or targeted. May the power of...
03432 – Epiphany of Grace
Matthew writes: “[Herod] sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under.” Jesus is born, but in Flannery O’Connor’s words, “at a devastating price.” No one knows how many children died; the New Testament alone documents the...
03231 – Beware of Those Interested Only in Personal Power
Beware of anyone in authority who is stoking fear, hate, and aggression into the hearts of their followers. They are only interested in their own power. Seek out those who are sowing love, kindness, and compassion into the hearts of others, while empowering the most...
03175 – Raising Children
Raising children who are hopeful and who have the courage to be vulnerable means stepping back and letting them experience disappointment, deal with conflict, learn how to assert themselves, and have the opportunity to fail. If we’re always following our children into...
03171 – The Healing Touch
You have the healing touch, even if you may not realize it. It is not a supernatural gift, but a common gift, one given to us all. We are born to be healers, along with other vocations, to help us navigate this world as vulnerable beings. We have the power to hear one...
02914 – Where Is God?
Where is God? God is where we are weak, vulnerable, small, and dependent. God is where the poor are, the hungry, the handicapped, the mentally ill, the elderly, the powerless. How can we come to know God when our focus is elsewhere, on success, influence, and power?