The Lord’s Prayer- the Prayer of Jesus- The “Our Father”- is not just something to whizz through by rote. It’s an entry into deep communion with God, embedded in a sense of the unity of all Creation and our oneness with God.
Patriotism is like self-respect: it doesn’t mean we’re better than others, but that we know we are given unique gifts with which to achieve harmony with others. The goal is not superiority, but harmony.
The essence of religion is not its doctrine but its fruits. The Spirit of God is in you, with all its gifts for you. Do whatever nourishes and ripens your gifts so you can faithfully bear fruit.
We need healing of persons, cultures and systems. it seems overwhelming. But Jesus’ healing worked on personal, social and cosmic levels. We can trust the power of love to change systems– if we let it change us first.
We label people to reject their gifts and ministries… but Jesus calls them and the Holy Spirit works through them. He invites us to really see people, and so to encounter God.
The Holy Spirit is not some vibe that makes us feel good. It’s our oneness in God. It makes us reach out to those who are marginalized, used, rejected and oppressed, because as long as they suffer injustice, we are not whole. We are not free till we all are free.
