We have entered the most Holy of Weeks in the calendar. We will be following in the footsteps of Jesus as he heads to Calvary. He was led through this kangaroo court, found guilty of preaching against the status quo, and sent to death for his preaching.
We find ourselves at a crossroads this Holy Week as a people of faith. So many people have become angry, hateful, and abusive over things like politics, social issues, and people living their lives. We have come to accept that this is normal, however, it is anything but normal.
Jesus calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves. This extends to everyone we meet and even those we have not. We are called to love and accept our immigrant, LBTQIA+, women, people of color, poor, and homeless neighbors.
I see so many people stoop to being hateful and abusive toward those who are marginalized in our society. In other words, they are living diametrically opposed to the message of the Christ. And yet, we call those people Christians.
This Holy Week, as we journey with our Lord, let us take time to examine how we live our daily lives. Are we showing forth the love of God to EVERYONE, or only those who are like us? Do we allow the politics of our day to turn us into hateful and abusive people? Or do we continue to follow the message of the Christ?
Take time to have this honest discussion with yourself and begin to work on changing how you act and behave in the world around us.
Pax et Bonum,
Bishop Greer