On Being Adopted

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

There is no time like the present for peace.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

We are related, by adoption. You picked us, wanted us as your family members. You’re the one at the reunion with whom we always feel comfortable, the one who always seems eager to hear how things are going, who always has some good stories and insights to share. You resonate with us, touching us at a level others generally do not. You communicate with our core, massage our conscience, deepen our love. You make life more intense and intentional. You sooth our angers and anxieties. Without your spirit touch, life would be uncontrolled chaos. We can talk with you about anything. You’ve seen it all and can give advice in a way we can hear and understand. What would we do without you?
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“That kid with the picnic basket saved our bacon, so to speak.”

[Not what He said in the debriefing with disciples following the feeding of the 5,000.]

D. Blog: Imagine…

- “Why do you seek the living in a gravecloth?” – Jesus, on the Shroud of Turin

- “What do you expect to find in a cave where someone tells you my body lay?” – Jesus, to Christian tourists in Jerusalem

- “Does it make any difference if you worship God there as opposed to here?” – Jesus, on religious conflicts, first cited in the Gospel according to John in the conversation with the woman at the well

- “When did you ever hear me say that killing an enemy is permissible?" – Jesus, reminding us that love of enemies is central to following him