God’s answer for carrying on the presence of His Son, Jesus Christ, in the world today, and accomplishing His work here, is the church. The church is an organic, living organism of believers in Christ all over the world. It is called the body of Christ because it represents His hands and feet continuing until He returns the ministry He began.
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” Genesis 2:18
Aside from the devastating consequences of sickness and death that this pandemic has wreaked on the world is something even more widespread that has affected us all, and that is the isolation that has been the result of protecting ourselves and others from the spread of the virus. There is a long-term effect to this that may not always be obvious, but it nevertheless is there.
Amanda Gorman, 22
Mankind was made of clay
Each of us in the very same way
from “The Very Last Day” by Peter, Paul & Mary
Fingers crossed. The nation holding its breath. Today’s inauguration brought new meaning to the term, “the peaceful transition of power” that up until now, has been one of the hallmarks of this democracy. Rumors and fake tweets about martial law persisted even this morning. What does the outgoing President have in mind we wonder? Will violent extremists somehow get through 25,000 National Guard?
What a concert!
Yesterday I wrote a Catch about how music might have affected the large political gathering at the Capitol building last week the way music addressed another political crowd gathered near the nation’s capitol back in 1963 during the civil rights march on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech. Peter, Paul and Mary; Bob Dylan; Joan Baez and Mahalia Jackson were some of the singers at that event. We could have benefited from some singers last Wednesday.
During the civil rights march on Washington in 1963, when Martin Luther King gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech, Peter, Paul and Mary sang to thousands who had gathered there with the Washington Monument towering behind them. I thought of that moment today for a number of reasons. One, because this is Martin Luther King Day, and we always remind you to listen to and remember that landmark speech and the justice and equality that Dr. King stood for. Two, because other not so pleasant memories of crowds gathered in Washington are fresh in our minds, manifesting painful images of violence that Dr. King denounced. But three, because I was reading an article in the Los Angeles Times yesterday about a strange and unorthodox relationship between Gustavo Dudamel, conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and John Densmore, former drummer for the Doors. (Hang with me here — this will all connect in just a minute.)
“Fear not.”
It’s what angels say whenever they show up because they put off a very bright white light that would be quite alarming to any mortal. It’s also what Jesus said when He surprised His disciples with an unexpected show of His miraculous power, such as when He appeared to them in the middle of the night walking on the water, or when He showed up in their midst after His resurrection in the upper room with the doors locked. Don’t be afraid; it’s me.
I trust in the Lord for protection.
So why do you say to me,
“Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!” Psalm 11:1
Look, either you trust in the Lord or you do not. How can you say, “I trust in the Lord for protection,” and then head for the hills in order to protect yourself? If you trust in the Lord for protection, you don’t also go out of your way to protect yourself, just in case the Lord doesn’t do His job. In other words, we don’t live in fear while we mouth pious words about trusting the Lord.
Does anyone know whose dog this is?
We truly need a lovely story like this one right now. This is a neighborhood being a neighborhood. This would make Mister Rogers proud.
It started out last night when one of our Chihuahuas got out. His name is Churchill because he looks a little like Winston. He looks like he should be sporting a cigar, don’t you think? He’s a Chihuahua with the face of a bulldog and he’s never been beyond the confines of our small yard. So last night he somehow got outside the door and decided to venture out into the great unknown.
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, 1st and 2nd Timothy, and Philemon, all start out this way. “Grace and peace to you …” I used to think that was just a nice sentiment. Not sure why he chose “grace and peace,” but it seemed to be just a generic greeting. Now I see it in entirely different light.
If you read our latest communique, “The Bridge to 2021,” you are aware that we had to let everyone across that bridge from 2020 into the New Year. Nothing we could do about it. Sorry about that. We had no choice. Hell’s Angels, junkies, all the convicts in jail, and who knows how many North Korean spies — just everyone, no exceptions whatsoever.
Darn. Just imagine if we could have left all the Democrats or all the Republicans back in 2020, (depending on your own political bent). Actually, maybe that would be a good thing to do. Think about who you would have like to have left behind in 2020 and then realize, those are the very people you need to learn to love. That’s right, LOVE. Not just tolerate. We think tolerating certain people should be enough, but that’s not enough for the Lord. The Lord wants us to love our enemies.
What do you think it takes to love your enemies? It takes seeing their worth and value before God. It takes seeing the image of God in them. It takes imagining them as someone’s father or mother — someone’s brother or sister. It takes seeing them as someone like you who has the same desires and needs, hopes and dreams, as you have. And it ultimately means seeing them as someone loved by God for whom Jesus died.
So I’m thinking right now of someone — actually a few someones — who are of the opposite political persuasion as myself (not hard to do these days) and I’m thinking of how I can focus on their inconsistencies and think of myself as more righteous and reasonable as they are. I can also be offended by the political propaganda they feed me to show me they are right, and to try to get me to think like they do.
So what do I do? Take an end run around politics and love these people for who they are. Why does God love this person? What does He see? Find out what I can affirm in this person. Love them in the love of the Lord. And finally, look up to them. See them as more important than myself, because they are.
John Fischer The Catch 