"I ask for the desire to pray and meditate regularly for my community of faith. I ask for patience, tolerance, gentleness, empathy, and compassion. I ask to abstain from anger, anxiety, compulsive behaviour, discouragement, and shame. I ask to know and follow Jesus more closely, seeking justice, loving kindness and walking humbly."
John 14:1-4
14‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe* in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?* 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4And you know the way to the place where I am going.’*
1) "...heart be troubled:" "...many dwelling places;" "...I will come again;" "...take you to myself;" "...you may be also;" "...you know;" "Do not let your hearts be troubled;"
2) It is hard to not be troubled. I need a constant reminder. And it isn't little things either. LGBTQ people being persecuted in Nigeria needing refuge. Millions of people fleeing violence in the middle east. Canada's unjust participation in systems that prevent people from finding refuge because we act out of fear (troubled hearts), rather than out of need and compassion. 'Do not let your hearts be troubled.' Can I be concerned, without being troubled? Can I acknowledge the enormity of the violence, injustice and atrocity in the world without being troubled and still be human? Can I have empathy and not be troubled? 'Do not let your hearts be troubled." It doesn't say "Don't do anything." It doesn't absolve anyone of the crimes they commit. In fact, in the next couple verses, we will be reminded that to follow Jesus, the way the truth and the light, is to do what Jesus does and to serve the world and he has served us... giving of our whole selves. Perhaps what is meant by a "troubled heart" is a heart that stops loving graciously. And I should hear this as, "Do not stop loving graciously." Do not let the peril in the world stop you from loving and giving everything. Do not let the evil out there justify evil in here. And, of course, when I read the word "believe" I hear the word "trust." so: "Do not stop loving graciously. Trust in God, trust also in me."
3) What is the invitation in all this? To continue to give all I am to trusting God and to not let the weight of what is wrong in the world to justify not loving graciously. To "repent" and turn once again from despair in the world, and chose hope because that is simply what it means to "hear and obey."
"Holy One, keep me loving graciously, even when my heart breaks and when I have no reason to love."
Breathprayer: "Believe in God... and prepare a place."
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