A House Divided (or, The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same)

I have struggled with how best to publicly respond to the recent General Conference of The United Methodist Church. I have struggled because I don't want to react uncritically to what has happened. I don't want to belittle the actions that have been taken or the very real pain, grief, and sorrow that many, including myself, are feeling right now. I don't want to uncritically lay the blame for this at the feet of others. I don't want to react in an attempt to apply a balm to my own feelings of guilt. I don't want to shame those that don't agree with me (or those that do for that matter).

But I also can't not respond. I can't simply sit back and say that all will be well because as a white, cishet male everything will be fine for me. But I struggle with how best to respond. Not because I don't care, but because I care deeply about what happens next.

Manifestation: Teacher Jesus 2 - Jesus Loves Your Enemies

This week we continue our look at Jesus' teaching as found in the Sermon on the Plain in the Gospel of Luke. (Luke 6:27-38) What does it mean for God is merciful to the wicked and unjust? What do we do with the fact that Jesus calls us to do the same?

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There are many difficult doctrines and beliefs in Christian teaching. Many of these things were also difficult in Jesus’ time, though we like to think they are more difficult for us with our modern sensibilities. From the virgin birth to the Resurrection, from miraculous healings to miraculous feedings, what are we to do with those things that our experience and intellect tell us are simply not possible? From the Trinity to the Sacraments to the Incarnation, what are we to do with concepts so convoluted it almost doesn’t make sense to even bring them up?

We talk about the unwed teenager who becomes pregnant with the Son of God, but we don’t often dig too deeply into what that means whether out of an inability to believe this girl was really a virgin or because we don’t want to think about how our modern culture treats unwed mothers. What does it mean for us today that this is how God chose to come into the world?

We hear the stories of Jesus feeding the multitudes, how a handful of bread loaves and a couple of fish turned into enough to feed thousands with more leftover than they started with. But is the miracle in so little being turned into so much, or in the people present actually sharing the food they had brought with others? Either of these thoughts can be hard for us to believe.