Devotion - Tuesday, May 3

My appointed readings are from John 17. This is a section of Jesus' "High Priestly Prayer." In this prayer, Jesus remembers before his Father all the things that he holds dear.

He speaks of being in the world but not of the world. He speaks of being protected from "the evil one." And he prays for those whom he has "sent into the world."

Living a life modeled after Christ is easy when we are in the Church. Living in the world is where things become difficult.

As a person of faith, I am having difficulty living in the world this day. The military assault which resulted in the death of Osama Bin Laden has given rise to a whole host of events - many of which are appropriate; some of which smack of the very thing we are seeking to eliminate.

I am thinking back to this morning's appointed reading. We must always be careful to equate scripture's references to "the evil one" to any human. Surely, Bin Laden organized and directed many evil deeds. He fell under the influence of "the evil one," and "the evil one" convinced him that violence and murder were acceptable means to an end.

Those whom Christ has sent into the world will always rejoice when evil is held in check. Our status of being "in the world but not of the world" means that we understand the impracticality of ending violence with violence.

I have not been on campus enough to know what is being said there. I imagine it is much like what is being said other places. Perhaps the busyness of exams has muted the reaction and the comments. I encourage you to be "sent into (your) world" with the message of Christ. That you might interject into the conversations and the discussions a regret that the world which God made and declared "Good" is all too often a world in which there is hatred and bloodshed.

The hope we all have is of a time when "the evil one" will hold no sway in this world. We may choose not to challenge the legitimacy of Sunday night's assault, but we must speak out for a world in which God's peace rules rather than hatred and war and destruction.