Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Devotion - Wednesday, November 5

Hopefully you were in worship this Sunday for the Church's observance of All Saints Sunday.  I was the guest of the congregation my in-laws helped to organize in Griffin, GA.  This congregation has returned to the tradition of having bibles in the pew racks, thus allowing folks to read the appointed lessons from the bible rather than from the back of the bulletin.

Taking advantage of this, I noticed the footnote associated with the appointed Gospel lesson -  Matthew 5:11.  The verse reads, "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely."  There is a footnote which acknowledges "Other ancient authorities lack falsely."

Sometimes, the followers of Jesus are reviled, and persecuted, and evil is uttered against us - not as a result of false accusations, but because we are being faithful to the one whom we follow.  

When we insist that the poor have health insurance we are reviled.

When we seek marriage equality, we are persecuted.

When we ask why a full-time employee cannot afford food for their family evil is uttered against us.

The people of God may have many false things said about us; but there it is when we speak the truth that we are most often criticized.  That is how the world silences our witness.  That is how false gods are allowed to reign.

No comments: