A Message from the Interim Pastor…
This week’s lyric comes from Blowin’ in the Wind, a song written and recorded by Bob Dylan in 1962 and then subsequently recorded by many others including Joan Baez and Peter, Paul and Mary. “Yes, ‘n’ how many times can a man turn his head, and pretend that he just doesn’t see?”
Dylan points out something that I find is common among people today, even among people who profess to being Christians. I liken it to the parable of the Good Samaritan, found in the 10th chapter of Luke, where the Levite and the Priest both “turned their heads and pretended that they just didn’t see” the man who had been robbed and beaten on the road to Jericho. All too many of us often behave in a similar way, especially when we encounter someone or something that might make us a little uncomfortable.
But I think that things go much deeper than just that. Many of us also turn our heads and pretend that we don’t see all of the injustice and greed and corruption that’s in our world. We pretend that these things don’t actually matter, perhaps because they don’t seem to affect us directly. But, Martin Luther King, Jr. once wrote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” When we ignore the things evil that’s in our world because it doesn’t affect us directly, sooner or later it will.
You see, as Christian people, we are called to stand up and fight against injustice and greed and corruption. We are called to stand in solidarity with the poor and the oppressed. We are called to work – to work tirelessly – to overcome injustice, greed, and corruption. This is what Jesus did during his earthly life. He didn’t just sympathize with the oppressed and those being taken advantage of. He worked to overturn the systems that created oppression. So did Martin Luther King, Jr. And so should we. But we can’t ever do that sort of work if we “turn our heads and pretend that we just don’t see.”
Peace and blessing,
Pastor Michael
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