Searching for Grace in the Maha Kumbh

Let me paint a picture for you: On a single day, a crowd of more than 76.4 million, called by their immovable faith, took a dip in the holy waters of the river ‘Sangam’, which is a confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers. While the Ganges is clear and shallow, the Yamuna River is greenish, deep and one of the most polluted rivers in India. The Saraswati River is invisible and considered mythical.

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Loving and Forgiving Enemies

As I read our lectionary passage, I find the suggestion to love our enemies, and do well to those who abuse you, profoundly counter intuitive. A blessing for a curse, prayer for your abuser, love for hate; this seems like a ridiculous, if not dangerous, way to live. I grew up in a neighborhood where casting judgment on outsiders and knowing your enemy were keys to survival. To be honest, it was a pretty good way to build a community of brothers. We all knew who we hated, and it was the glue that held our corner of the neighborhood together.

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The Womb of Mercy

In this week’s text Jesus calls us to love our enemies. It’s the heart of the Gospel and while it sounds nice in theory, it’s never been very popular in practice. And for good reason; when applied to the crucible of real life, there is no guarantee that Jesus’ teaching about loving our enemy will transform our enemy, at least not right away. It may even cost our life.

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Becoming Perfectly Human

I use to think that the Sermon on the Mount was easy and beautiful. I use to think, “yeah Jesus, tell ’em what they are missing.” The Sermon on the…

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The Enemy of Perfection

It’s about God wanting us to be fully human, and God knows that our enemies hold the key to our humanity.

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