Quick

Folks,

Sure i am two days late, and i am still trying to figure out my schedule, but the blog is up and going, this week. Funny thing happens when we read, pray, and tune our hearts to the power of the Divine, we begin to experience new insights to the biblical story, and that is happening to me. I am, actually, finding it hard to put to words my reaction to Matthew 5. But i will do my best, and in the interest of sanity, keep it short.

I mean really short.

Like almost finished short.

But not quite.

Before i say goodbye, this week, i want to ask you all a question. Have you ever had your world turned upside down? If so, how did it feel? How did you react? Was it positive? Negative? Are you still recovering? And if you haven't, be ready, because God always finds ways to upset our normal cycle of life.

Having our world turned upside down is godly work, it truly is. It could be tragic, so where is God? Sitting with us through our pain. Not just God, but when the church sits with us, God becmoes so real, so tangible, we survive. When it is a blessing, well that's an obvious answer. What does this have to do with Matthew 5?

Jesus came to turn the world upside down. He addresses the old paradigm that all of the people lived by, and then he turns it on its rear. He empowers the powerless. He calls the weakminded and sinner. He protects women. He demands forgiveness and mercy. He requires his disciples to love, just as He loves. That, folks, is turning the world upside down, and that folks, is what we are required to do.

Jesus calls us to stand against oppression, to demand justice, to live peace, and to no longer turn a blind eye to that which destroys life, whether that is a literal/quick destruction of life or if that is a slow/metaphorical descent into the abyss. God/Jesus/the Holy Spirit calls us, as disciples of Jesus, to stop the damage and build a kingdom, God's Kingdom: one of love, peace, forgiveness, acceptance, empowerment, and community. Anything else, anything that deters from this kingdom, is not of God and must be ignored.

To do this, folks, requires sacrifice, major sacrifice. So. What are we willing to give up? If not everything, we will accomplish nothing. But if we leave the world behind, well we will do more than experience a new life, we will build a kingdom, and kingdom building is always great work. Amen.

Shalom,
jerry