Chains

from  http://candidkerry.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/broken-chains/ 

This flyer gained attention the last few days in a north western Alabama town after being placed on windows and doors of businesses during the dark hours of the night: 

I’m not one to make public political or social stands and I tend to have a fairly childlike faith even after attending seminary.  I can’t necessarily explain in a well thought out and intellectual way some of the more difficult doctrines of Christianity and yet there are things I believe about the triune God just because I do. 

That said I wept when I saw this flyer on our local news stations and my Facebook feed.  This day that we as a nation celebrate freedom are sadly still so far from free.  Oh we hold tight to what we think is true.  Perhaps sometimes it is, yet sadly there is only one Truth. 

That Truth came into our world as a child in a Jewish village, was raised in a synagogue, and taught by rabbis.  That Truth healed the lowest of the low in his day: lepers, women of questionable character, blind men.   That Truth ate with sinners and tax collectors.  That Truth was such a threat that he was nailed to a cross.  And on that cross sin and death was defeated.  Jesus became the Christ and set us free.

Sadly we continue to try to put this Christ, where true freedom is found, into a box.  He is much tamer when he looks, acts, thinks, sounds, is just like us.  That is what makes me weep.  Jesus broke the bonds of sin and death once and I trust he will do so again even though he likely looks nothing like I expect him to. 

Thanks be to God!

from  http://candidkerry.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/broken-chains/ 

Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.(The Book of Common Prayer, 823)