By Beth DeCristofaro
The
angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, “Get up and head south on the road that goes
down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route.” So he got up and set out.
(Acts 8:26-27)
I
am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will
live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the
world. (John 6:51)
Piety
Feed me Lord, for I
want eternal life in you. Feed me Lord
that I might wake each morning with an Alleluia spirit. Feed me Lord, that I
might “get up and set out” to the least of your children each day. Feed me Lord that I might sleep each night soundly
in your care.
Study
Easter leaves me
wanting to say “Alleluia” for weeks. But
the disciples were not given much time for Alleluias. The Acts of the Apostles details many
incidents of harassment and repression against the followers of Jesus the
Christ. Phillip, however, responds
immediately and sets out in spite of possible danger. Surely his heart was burning within him, borrowing
from the road to Emmaus, when he spied the eunuch reading Isaiah and “proclaimed Jesus to him. (v. 35).” When
Jesus sent the disciples out and then the seventy-two, he said “go out” without
luggage, good footwear or a raincoat. In
effect, go out with the Word burning within you and proclaim.
Today’s America is
a land experiencing a fair amount of violence and fear. Jesus did not arm his disciples except with
love and the Spirit. Yet rather than
welcome the stranger and proclaim as Phillip did, we talk of closing our
borders and mounting patrols. In election
rallies people are struck and thrown bodily out even while exercising the
age-old American privilege of free dissenting speech. Historical monuments and places of worship
are defaced by those who disagree. Did
we leave our alleluias in the places we worship with the people who are most
like us?
Action
THE NEWSPAPER PRAYER from Communities of Salt and
Light: Look through a print
or online newspaper to find a news article about an issue that affects your
community or the world. Cut out (or print out) the article and bring it with
you to a quiet place where you can pray. Think about how human dignity is
affected by the issue or situation. Pray for God’s healing and transformation
for all people impacted, lawmakers, and others. Ask God how he is asking you to
respond to this issue.
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