THE HOLY TRINITY

June 7, 2020

“All God’s Children”

     The video of the killing of a helpless black man last week has been played countless times on virtually every screen in this country and beyond.  Everyone has an opinion about what did or didn’t happen, and reactions range from abject horror to numb acceptance.  As people of faith, we know that we cannot just shrug our shoulders and hope that “someone” does “something” about the deep-seated hatred that makes it possible for any person to commit such an act. 

     An abundance of statements, opinions, arguments, and questions are saturating our entire environment, overwhelming our thoughts and emotions.  Many of us who have the perspective of years lived recall the conflict and violence of the early days of integration, voter registration, and the controversy surrounding the Civil Rights Act.  

     I can still hear the voice of Dr. Martin Luther King: “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”  (Amos 5:24)  As I read this chapter in the Lutheran Study Bible, I learned that the 8th century prophets linked social justice with proper worship of the one true God.  This prophet tells us that God’s justice cannot be separated from God’s love, and we are invited back into oneness with God and with one another.

     Throughout his ministry, our Lord cared for those in need, and we learn the true meaning of service in the Gospel of Matthew 25:34-36, 40:  “Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’  . . .  “‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’”    

     Jesus was raised in the Hebrew tradition, and knowledgeable in the prophecies of ancient times.  His teachings often reference the values and standards to which God’s people have been held throughout their history.  Caring for those in need and advocating for the disenfranchised didn’t start with Jesus’ ministry.  It has been an integral part of the relationship between God and his people from the earliest of times.  And so in this century, in this country, and in this community, we are called upon to be willing to advocate for justice for all people, and to make our voices heard as we join with others seeking change.  

         If there is any name that we are most blessed to claim, it is “Child of God.”  To be in relationship with our heavenly Father is a gift we can only humbly accept with gratitude and joy.

        George Floyd was a father, a brother, a son, and a friend.  Like anyone else, he was a person living his life, being human, loving his family, enjoying his friends.   And he was a child of God.

Another of the children,

Your friend in Christ, Mary Rogers

Children of the Heavenly Father
https://youtu.be/t_dxcdG1TKI