Lately I have been spending a lot of time thinking about the state of our world.
I see what appears to be a forest fire approaching our culture.
I also see part of the culture sitting back saying, “Nothing to see here.”
I see trouble ahead.
I also believe that if we are in the time I think we are, then there is no avoiding that trouble. We are on a one lane road and there is no UTURN.
I hear people calling for action…uprising….even violence.
The world is polarized and divided and people are saying, “It’s us or them!”
I have people urging me to: PICK A SIDE…RIGHT OR LEFT; TAKE A STAND… LEFT OR RIGHT; VOTE THIS WAY AND BLAME THOSE WHO DON’T VOTE THE SAME; STOP TRYING TO MAKE NICE WITH THE OTHER SIDE. WE HAVE TO SAVE THE WORLD FROM THEM AT ANY COST.
BUT
I CAN THINK OF ANOTHER WAY.
It’s an ancient way. It is an eternal way.
It is the way of…“let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ” 1 John 4:7,8
It is the way of...”‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22: 37-39
It is the way of… “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” Matthew 5:44
This way is neither left nor right. It is straight ahead.
This way doesn’t choose the human way. It chooses God’s way. It leaves saving the world up to God and makes loving people its priority. It doesn’t choose riches or primacy. It doesn’t choose money or security. It chooses relationship. It chooses community. It chooses sharing, encouraging and sacrificing for others.
Most of all this way doesn’t view this life as the “be all and end all of existence.” It accepts all of life on this side…good, bad, and ugly
AND
It accepts that there is life even in death… and that life is light, love and laughter.
SO IN THE DAYS AHEAD…
I will choose another way.
I will choose the way of loving God and loving people.
I will choose the way of peace.
I will choose community.
I will choose relationship.
I will choose sharing.
I will choose encouraging
I will choose the way of sacrifice.
I will choose to pray for the Lord’s salvation to come quickly!
WHAT WILL YOU CHOOSE?
Notes From the Vicarage 
So much in our lives, the lives of all around us comes down to choice .. to having or embracing a sense of agency, responsibility .. too often things that are understated. Your concluding list of what you will choose, remind me of a book by Margaret Wheatley … “Who Do We Choose to Be?” I find that a very compelling question. Thank you!
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I am thinking on these things very deeply at the moment. It keeps me from the negativity that seems to be swallowing so much of our culture at the moment.
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I certainly understand … we do need ways to frame our thinking, choices, actions .. that are grounded in what is positive, affirming. It’s a valid way of being realistic in our world.
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