An Old, Old Story

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Jesus’ parade into Jerusalem did not signify a military conquest, rather, it signified love’s victory over fear and death.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One, Mistress of Ceremonies,

We do ceremonies to mark significant points in life, the rites of passage that emphasize the importance of a transition from one point to another in our journey. It’s your presence that makes these events sacred. You provide a dignity and solemnity to what would otherwise be sorority/fraternity game-playing. You make a wedding joyous, a funeral bearable, a baptism memorable, a dedication inspiring, a graduation a time of immense hope. You lay your hands on us at such times and we feel the wonderful possibilities of the new phase we enter. Your gentle voice calls us in affirmation, and we are ready to move into our future. Goodbye, Haran; here I come, Canaan.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Be sure to dip the wafer in the wine. Otherwise, it will be too dry.”

[Not part of His instructions for observing the ritual of bread and cup.]

D. Blog: Health Care Reform

“Because it’s so expensive to do otherwise, we must let people die rather than provide them with medical care that could keep them alive, lest the whole system collapse.”

Or

“Because those who have decent health care are frightened by ‘socialized medicine,’ better to let those without access to health care live without it for as long as they can.”

Or

“Because it’s too dangerous for our military-industrial-political economic system to do otherwise, we must justify killing people in other countries rather than try to build and maintain a workable framework for international peace.”

Or

“We had to destroy the village in order to save it.”

Or

“Better that one man should die so that many may live.”

It’s an old, old story…