Today’s Readings: Psalm 126; Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; John 1:6-8, 19-28; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
A few years ago here in Denver, we had quite a bit of controversy over an event called The Parade of Lights. According to the early tradition of the event, floats were not allowed in the parade that had religious themes. This was done in an attempt to make the parade a safe place for people of all faiths to come. A few years ago, however, a Christian group decided that they were no longer willing to abide by the tradition. They demanded that they be able to include their own religiously-themed float in the parade. The controversy stirred up folks on all sides of the issue. As I listened to folks process the controversy, I was fascinated by those Christians who were so adamant about the inclusion of the float. These folks honestly couldn’t understand why anyone would be opposed to their float! If these individuals would have paid closer attention to the larger community around them, they might have understood why some were so opposed to their participation. You see there are lots of folks who have been severely hurt by things done in Jesus’ name. As a result, they want nothing to do with anything that could be construed as a celebration of this Christ-child. A huge piece of our call as progressive Christians is to help some of these wounded individuals realize that the essence of Christ has nothing to do with the hurtful behavior of some of Jesus’ so-called followers. In other words, we need to present them with a picture of the Jesus we know –the one who was sent to preach good news to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, to announce freedom to the captives, and to pardon all prisoners. During this Advent season, I would encourage you to hold on tightly to Isaiah’s wonderful description of the coming savior. Those words paint a vivid picture of the one’s whose arrival is truly good news for us all! Til next time…
A few years ago here in Denver, we had quite a bit of controversy over an event called The Parade of Lights. According to the early tradition of the event, floats were not allowed in the parade that had religious themes. This was done in an attempt to make the parade a safe place for people of all faiths to come. A few years ago, however, a Christian group decided that they were no longer willing to abide by the tradition. They demanded that they be able to include their own religiously-themed float in the parade. The controversy stirred up folks on all sides of the issue. As I listened to folks process the controversy, I was fascinated by those Christians who were so adamant about the inclusion of the float. These folks honestly couldn’t understand why anyone would be opposed to their float! If these individuals would have paid closer attention to the larger community around them, they might have understood why some were so opposed to their participation. You see there are lots of folks who have been severely hurt by things done in Jesus’ name. As a result, they want nothing to do with anything that could be construed as a celebration of this Christ-child. A huge piece of our call as progressive Christians is to help some of these wounded individuals realize that the essence of Christ has nothing to do with the hurtful behavior of some of Jesus’ so-called followers. In other words, we need to present them with a picture of the Jesus we know –the one who was sent to preach good news to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, to announce freedom to the captives, and to pardon all prisoners. During this Advent season, I would encourage you to hold on tightly to Isaiah’s wonderful description of the coming savior. Those words paint a vivid picture of the one’s whose arrival is truly good news for us all! Til next time…
1 comment:
I haven't attended your church (I actually attend a UU church), but I find your blog entries insightful and refreshing.
After reading through your blog, I feel like this would be a place I could feel comfortable in. I look forward to attending a service in the future.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and well crafted questions with the wider community.
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