As the Colosseum was a monument to ancient Roman power, shopping malls, political rallies, and sporting events are monuments to America’s present moment. All are important, even replacing religion in many instances, because they are the embodiment of victory, something that Americans are willing to pursue to dangerous ends, even if it threatens our country’s continued viability.
Mary Dyer stood fast for religious freedom to exist. She stood for women to speak God’s word. She stood for the state not interfering in the freedom of religious expression. On June 1, 1660, she was led to the gallows for the beliefs she stood for, and this Quaker woman was hung to her death.
Amongst all the Minions and the flashy action scenes, Despicable Me 4 offers a touching reflection on what it means to be a parent. We raise children to make good choices, and then we have no control over what they do with that moral formation. That is also a good way to think about salvation and God’s unstoppable love for us – no matter the decisions that we make.
Could we experience Holy Spirit moments, when human connections are made where we feel deep transformation occurring? How do we get to those deep Holy Spirit moments?
The “priesthood of all believers” is aspirational, but it rarely happens in practice.
It hurts me to know this text that I weekly thank God for has been misused and continues to be misused to cause pain and trauma in people. In a sad irony, the Bible was written by the outcast and the marginalized and is misused to create outcasts and to marginalize.