Holy Monday

-
Today is Monday of Holy Week and I find myself thinking about my own weakness. I had a mental picture of sitting at my desk (which faces out with my books on two shelves behind me) and then them falling and crushing me. I got a call from my dad about another friend of mine (from the church I grew up in) who is having a malignant tumor removed from his colon. He is younger than me. The world is in great pain and many I know are struggling.

And yet, Jesus gave his back to those who struck him, and his cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; he did not hide his face from insult and spitting. (Isaiah 50:6) It is in his very wounds that we can hide and it is his body and blood that will save us to life everlasting.

Jesus, betrayed with a kiss,
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, judged worthy of death,
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, spit upon, blindfolded, and struck with blows
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, bruised and scourged for our iniquities,
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, laden with the Cross and led to Calvery
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, nailed to the Cross,
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, raised up on the Cross,
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, bearing our sins in your own body on the tree,
Have mercy upon us.
Jesus, by whose stripes we are healed,
Have mercy upon us.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Intellectualized Racism is Still Racism

-
Image
John Eastman wrote an opinion piece in Newsweek on Aug 12th 2020 asking questions about Kamala Harris's right to run as Vice President. Eastman is actually arguing what he wishes/wants to the law to say: that you are only a citizen by birth if your are parent was a citizen, AKA he is questioning birthright citizenship. Birthright citizenship is one of the unique things about America and it massively contributes to our diversity as a nation.  It is also born out of the racist maneuvering of the laws around slavery. The famous Dred Scott case of 1857, which contributed to starting the civil war, resulted in a 7-2 decision that African American Dred Scott had no claim because he was not a citizen. In an opinion written by Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney, the court ruled that black people "are not included, and were not intended to be included, under the word 'citizen' in the Constitution, and can therefore claim none of the rights and privileges which that instrum
Read more

The Hearth

-
Image
"A stove used to furnish more than mere warmth. It was a focus, a hearth, a place that gathered the work and leisure of a family and gave the house a center. Its coldness marked the morning, and the spreading of its warmth the beginning of the day. It assigned to the different family members tasks that defined their place in the household. The mother built the fire, the children kept the firebox filled, and the father cut the firewood. It provided for the entire family a regular and bodily engagement with the rhythm of the seasons that was woven together of the threat of cold and solace of warmth, the smell of wood smoke, the exertion of sawing and of carrying, the teaching of skills and the fidelity to daily tasks." (Albert Borgmann: Technology and the Character of Contemporary Life ) So what is our new center? Warmth is now provided in a completely uniform way requiring no demands on our skill, strength or attention. In fact, the warmth device (central heating system) is c
Read more

Lack of Empathy from Liberals

-
I just finished a book which I don't want to name. It was by a really good parent and about parenting children with neurodifferences. It had great information and ideas in and and it came recommended to me by close friends who I love and respect and who are also exceptional parents. So I really don't have anything to say about the content of the book or the need for the book.  It was the tone. It was clear from many references this person was a certain type, an NPR listener, someone who used  to drink diet coke, fluent in a million cliches, etc. This type could be narrowed to white liberal, but lets just stick with liberal for the moment. One major beef liberals (which I consider myself in the completely impoverished terms we have for ourselves in this country) have with conservatives, is how narrow-minded they are and how they refuse to see various perspectives and have empathy for people who are different than themselves. Liberals typically wear the love of difference on thei
Read more