Grace filled speech in a graceless world.
“Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. He warned them not to tell others about him. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “… He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope.”
– Matthew 12:15-21 (NIV)
It is so easy to fall prey to the sensationalism and vitriol that has infected our modern cultural and political discourse. We no longer talk to each other. We shout past each other. We no longer have dialogues with our fellow citizens. We no longer seek the highest good for the country and for the world. We seek to destroy each other with one liners and pithy half truths.
It does not have to be this way. Especially for Christians who seek to be part of the kingdom of God, this is exactly the way we should not approach the world. Instead, we should approach the world with a willingness to see the other person as an individual made in your image. We should be willing to extend to them the same sort of grace Christ has extended to us.
O Prince of Peace,
Forgive us for those times we are busy trying to pretend that our side represents your side. Forgive us for not recognizing that we are called to be on your side. This is a subtle, but critical difference.
We are called to follow you, wherever you lead. Help us and guide us. Give us reminders of the fact that we are not as wise as you. Call us back to be, once more, the people whom you have equipped us to be.
Amen.
(This reflection from my prayer journal was inspired by John Edgerton’s UCC Still Speaking Devotional, Bruised, Broken, Smoldering, Snuffed Out, January 15, 2020)
