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Devotional by Rev. Evan M Dolive for First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Longview, TX

2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. (New Revised Standard Version)

A lot has been taking place in our world over the past weeks. It all began with a global pandemic that has taken the lives of over 105,000 people in the United States alone. The pandemic then began to be a partisan talking point for politicians and elected officials to criticize the other party. I am like many of you, I want things to go back to how they were before the pandemic. I am tired of wearing a mask to the store; I still wonder when the right time will be to take my wife and children into a restaurant safely. I am ready to have physical in person worship again; it is odd preaching, praying, and offering communion to an empty sanctuary. The focus for much of these past few months has been COVID19, the economy and the ever-growing unemployment numbers. Then there were the deaths of Ahmaud Aubrey and George Floyd. Both men were killed in tragic and senseless ways. Aubrey was shot while running because two men thought he was a burglary suspect. Floyd had a knee to his throat for over eight minutes by a Minneapolis Police Officer for allegedly using counterfeit money.

Because of these deaths, peaceful protests have sprung up all over the country and some have turned violent. Looting, rioting, burning of buildings and even more innocent deaths are taking place. Things seem out of control, out of our hands. We mourn for the loss of life that spurred these peaceful protests but are unsure what to do next. We call on God to send the Spirit of Peace much like God did during the day of Pentecost. Hearts need to be mended and souls need to be put back together.

The Book of Isaiah speaks to what God wants from God’s people. The opening chapter is a vision from God that Isaiah speaks to the people of Israel. They have become a nation who just goes through the motions. They are good at having their religious celebrations and festivals, but their hearts are not changed or moved by the commands and calls of God. Prophets, like Isaiah, had the task of speaking God’s word to the people but most of the time the people did not want to hear it. Like us today, Israel thought they were doing fine. They believed that things were going well for them and nothing needed to change; they liked things the way they were. It was comfortable (for most people) and why “rock the boat?”. God’s message to them was clear “cease to do evil; learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.” (Isaiah 1:16b-17) In other words, it’s time to change; God’s laws and gospel demand it.

During this time of uncertainty, let us pray not just for the end of violence but for the start of conversations. We need to examine our lives, our actions, and our history so that we do not fall into the same traps of repeating things just because they are easy.

Jesus calls us to seek out the lost sheep, to find the one who is in pain and missing. We seek after that one because our faith demands that those in need must be cared for and must be looked after. This will not be easy but it is the right thing to do.

Join me as we continue to seek peace, grace, and justice not just now, but forevermore.

May it be so.

In Christ,

Rev. Evan