Archive for the ‘Isaiah 9’ Tag
Above: King Hezekiah of Judah
Image in the Public Domain
Judgment and Mercy
JANUARY 22, 2023
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Isaiah 9:1b-5 (LBW) or Isaiah 9:1-4 (LW) or Amos 3:1-8 (LBW, LW)
Psalm 27:1-9
1 Corinthians 1:10-17
Matthew 4:12-23
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Almighty God, you sent your Son to proclaim your kingdom
and to teach with authority.
Anoint us with the power of your Spirit, that we, too,
may bring good news to the afflicted,
bind up the brokenhearted,
and proclaim liberty to the captive;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 15
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O Lord God Almighty, because you have always supplied your servants
with the special gifts which come from your Holy Spirit alone,
leave also us not destitute of your manifold gifts nor of grace
to use them always to your honor and glory and the good of others;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 24
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Divine judgment and mercy exist in balance throughout the Old and New Testaments.
Isaiah 9 opens on a note of mercy. The verb tenses in Hebrew throughout Isaiah 9:1-6 are vague. My historical methodology makes me biased toward interpreting this text as a reference to King Hezekiah of Judah. Yet millennia of Christian interpretation bypasses Hezekiah and makes the text about Jesus. Anyhow, Isaiah 9:1-6 is about the divine deliverance of the Kingdom of Judah from the perils of the Syro-Ephraimite War.
Divine judgment of the (northern) Kingdom of Israel opens Amos 3. Or divine judgment of the Jewish people (in general) opens Amos 3. References to Israel in the Book of Amos are vague sometimes. The status of being God’s chosen people–grace, if ever I heard of it–means that the people (collectively) should have known better than they do or seem to know, we read. They brought judgment upon themselves.
Psalm 27 is a pious Jew’s expression of confidence in God. This text fits well with Isaiah 9 and stands as a counterpoint to Amos 3.
The Corinthian Christians should have known better than they did. That church, still a group of problematic house churches long after the time of St. Paul the Apostle (see 1 Clement, circa 100), compromised its witness by being, among other things, petty and fractious. They brought judgment upon themselves.
Matthew 4:12-23, quoting Isaiah 9:1-2, tells of Christ’s first cousins, Sts. James and John, sons of Zebedee, leaving the family fishing business and following him, after two other brothers, Sts. Andrew and Simon Peter, had done the same.
God sends nobody to Hell. God seeks everyone to follow Him. All those in Hell sent themselves. C. S. Lewis wrote that the doors to Hell are locked from the inside.
Judgment need not necessarily lead to damnation, though. It may function instead as a catalyst for repentance. Some of the Hebrew prophetic books, with their layers of authorship over generations, contradict themselves regarding the time for repentance has passed. That time seems to have passed, according to an earlier stratum. Yet according to a subsequent layer, there is still time to repent.
Anyway, while the time to repent remains, may we–collectively and individually–do so.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 20, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT FABIAN, BISHOP OF ROME, AND MARTYR, 250
THE FEAST OF SANTS EUTHYMIUS THE GREAT AND THEOCTISTUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOTS
THE FEAST OF GREVILLE PHILLIMORE, ENGLISH PRIEST, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF HAROLD A. BOSLEY, UNITED METHODIST MINISTER AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF HARRIET AUBER, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF RICHARD ROLLE, ENGLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC SPIRITUAL WRITER
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Annunciation to the Shepherds, by Rembrandt van Rijn
Image in the Public Domain
Divine Audacity
DECEMBER 24-25, 2023
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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First Service (Christmas Eve)
Isaiah 9:2-7
Psalm 96
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-20
Second Service (Christmas Dawn)
Isaiah 52:7-10
Psalm 97 (LBW) or Psalm 2 (LW)
Hebrews 1:1-9
John 1:1-14
Third Service (Christmas Day)
Isaiah 62:10-12
Psalm 98
Titus 3:4-7
Luke 2:1-20
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Almighty God, you made this holy night shine with the brightness of the true Light.
Grant that here on earth we may walk in the light of Jesus’ presence
and in the last day wake to the brightness of his glory;
through your only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 14
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Almighty God, you have made yourself known in your Son, Jesus, redeemer of the world.
We pray that his birth as a human child will set us free from the old slavery of our sin;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 14
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O God, as you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ,
grant that we, who joyfully receive him as our Redeemer,
may with sure confidence behold him when he comes to be our judge;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 16
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The Christian observance of Christmas began in the West, in the 300s. At Rome, by 336, December 25 had become the beginning of the church year. Pope St. Gregory I “the Great” (d. 604) wrote of three Christmas Masses–at St. Mary Major, at midnight; at St. Anastasia’s Church, at dawn; and at St. Peter’s, during the day.
Luke 2:1-20 is not historical. I, as a student of history, cannot refute the evidence for this conclusion. However, I embrace the prose poetry of Luke 2:1-20, for it speaks of a great truth: Jesus, not the Emperor Augustus, was the Son of God and the savior of the world, regardless of what the Roman government and coinage claimed.
I have the sources and background to parce all the assigned readings. Yet I choose not to do so in this post. Instead, O reader, I invite you to frolic in divine audacity, evident in the incarnation of the Second Person of the Trinity as a baby (however that worked). I invite you, O reader, to frolic in divine audacity, which continues to influence lives and societies for the better. I also invite you, O reader, to frolic in the mystery of divine love, to feel comfortable leaving the mystery mysterious, and to respond favorably to God daily, in gratitude.
Merry Christmas!
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 9, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY: THE BAPTISM OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YEAR C
THE FEAST OF JULIA CHESTER EMERY, UPHOLDER OF MISSIONS
THE FEAST OF EMILY GREENE BALCH, U.S. QUAKER SOCIOLOGIST, ECONOMIST, AND PEACE ACTIVIST
THE FEAST OF GENE M. TUCKER, UNITED METHODIST MINISTER AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF JOHANN JOZEF IGNAZ VON DÖLLINGER, DISSDENT AND EXCOMMUNICATED GERMAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, THEOLOGIAN, AND HISTORIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT PHILIP II OF MOSCOW, METROPOLITAN OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA, AND MARTYR, 1569
THE FEAST OF THOMAS CURTIS CLARK, U.S. DISCIPLES OF CHRIST EVANGELIST, POET, AND HYMN WRITER
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Nativity of Christ
Image in the Public Domain
With Equity and Justice for All
DECEMBER 24, 2023
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Isaiah 9:2-7
Psalm 96
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-20
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Christmas and Easter remind me of graduation in a way; orations at each of these events are usually rehashes of old material. That is not necessarily negative, of course. Ministers, of all people, must be keenly aware that they are delivering Christmas or Easter sermon #9, frequently repeated. How can reality be otherwise?
Isaiah 9:2-7 (or 9:1-6, if one is Jewish, Roman Catholic, or Eastern Orthodox) is a familiar passage. Like so many familiar passages, it contains subtexts one might easily ignore when going on autopilot. Depending on how one reads Hebrew verb tenses, the ideal king described is most likely Hezekiah (reigned 727/715-698/687 B.C.E.), son of Ahaz. One can read of Hezekiah in 2 Kings 18-20 and 2 Chronicles 29-32. One finds, however, that Hezekiah, although pious, was a deeply flawed man. The ideal king of the Davidic Dynasty, then, remains a hoped-for figure for many. Christian tradition identifies this prophecy with Jesus, born in Luke 2.
God is the King of the Earth, and salvation is available to all people, we read. Yet we know that many people refuse and will reject that offer. We also know that grace, although free to us, is never cheap to us, if it is to be effective. Divine generosity to us imposes certain moral obligations upon us. We have mandates, for example, to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. That high calling leads to legal jeopardy sometimes, especially when the “king,” regardless of title, does not strive to be an ideal ruler and certainly falls far short of that standard.
Amid the reigns of wicked potentates and exploitative economic-judicial-educational systems I write
Merry Christmas!
to all of you. Remember that God is in charge and will judge people with equity and justice. That is good news for some and terrifying news for others.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 16, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ADALBALD OF OSTEVANT, RICTRUDIS OF MARCHIENNES, AND THEIR RELATIONS
THE FEAST OF SAINT ABRAHAM KUDUNAIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC HERMIT; AND SAINT MARY OF EDESSA, ROMAN CATHOLIC ANCHORESS
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN CACCIAFRONTE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, ABBOT, BISHOP, AND MARTYR
THE FEAST OF SAINT MEGINGAUD OF WURZBURG, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK AND BISHOP
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/03/16/with-equity-and-justice-for-all/
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Above: Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, Palestine, 1945
Image Created by Matson Photo Service
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-matpc-12613
Good News for the Nations
DECEMBER 24, 2023
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The Collect:
Almighty God, you made this holy night shine with the brightness of the true Light.
Grant that here on earth we may walk in the light of Jesus’ presence
and in the last day wake to the brightness of his glory;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 20
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The Assigned Readings:
Isaiah 9:2-7
Psalm 96
Luke 2:1-14 [15-20]
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Isaiah 9:2-7, originally a coronation text for an Israelite king, has taken on a long-term meaning, one outside politics. That is fitting. Besides, a text can mean more than one thing legitimately. The text’s long-term meaning reached out even to smelly shepherds–people essential to the economy yet of low socio-economic status. That long-term meaning reaches to today. So may we say with Psalm 96:
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
let the sea thunder and all that is in it;
let the field be joyful and all that is therein.
–Verse 11, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
And may we live spiritually-disciplined lives which glorify God and benefit others.
Merry Christmas!
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 5, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANTHONY MARY ZACCARIA, FOUNDER OF THE BARNABIES AND THE ANGELIC SISTERS OF SAINT PAUL
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ADALBERO AND ULRIC OF AUGSBURG, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS
THE FEAST OF H. RICHARD NIEBUHR, UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF WILLEM A. VISSER ‘T HOOFT, ECUMENIST
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/07/06/good-news-for-the-nations/
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Above: Credit Mobilier Scandal Editorial Cartoon from 1873
The Web of Humanity
DECEMBER 3, 2023
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Isaiah 9:7/8-10:11 (depending on versification)
Psalm 122 (Morning)
Psalms 40 and 67 (Evening)
1 Peter 5:1-14
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Some Related Posts:
Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/06/26/where-cross-the-crowded-ways-of-life/
O Lord, You Gave Your Servant John:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/08/06/o-lord-you-gave-your-servant-john/
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Ha!
Those who write out evil writs
And compose iniquitous documents,
To subvert the cause of the poor,
To rob of their rights the needy of My people;
That widows may be their spoil,
And fatherless children their booty!
What will you do on the day of punishment,
when the calamity comes from afar?
To whom will you flee for help,
And how will you save your carcasses
From collapsing under [fellow] prisoners,
From falling beneath the slain?
Yet His anger has not turned back,
And his arm is outstretched still.
–Isaiah 10:1-4, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
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Humility towards one another must be the garment you all wear constantly, because God opposes the proud but accords his favour to the humble. Bow down, then, before the power of God now, so that he may raise you up in due time; unload all your burdens on him, since he is concerned about you.
–1 Peter 5:5b-7, The New Jerusalem Bible
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The reading from Isaiah spells out doom for Israel (the northern kingdom), Judah (the southern kingdom), and the Assyrian Empire. Embedded among that gloomy news is yet another condemnation of economic injustice. If I seem to beat this drum often in my devotional posts, I do; so do the texts from which I write many devotions. The repetition of this theme ought to tell us to pay attention, correct our ways, and reform our legal, economic, and political systems accordingly.
Each of us bears the image of God. This, I am convinced, constitutes the best basis of equality and mutual respect and humility. God cares for all of us, so we ought to care for each other, not to use each other for selfish goals. As the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., reminded us,
…injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.
What happens to my brother or sister affects me, for my brother or sister and I, although physically distinct, are not as separate as we might seem. We are all connected to others, so what affects one person has consequences for others.
May we, by grace, make them positive effects.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 3, 2011 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHN OWEN SMITH, UNITED METHODIST BISHOP IN GEORGIA
THE FEAST OF SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY IN ASIA
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/the-web-of-humanity/
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Above: A Candle Stump
Image Source = J. Samuel Burner
Light in the Darkness
DECEMBER 2, 2022
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Isaiah 8:9-9:6/7 (depending on versification)
Psalm 24 (Morning)
Psalms 25 and 110 (Evening)
1 Peter 4:1-9
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A Related Post:
Hope of the World:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/hope-of-the-world/
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There will be grave trouble for Judah one day, Isaiah said. It might not happen soon, but that day will come. And it did. Yet, in the midst of that gloomy prediction, there was a second, happy one: There will be a ruler through whom God will deliver the people. Scholars debate what the vague references meant, and the reading assumes a certain character if one reads it outside of Christological interpretations, but none of that is germane to my purpose here, today. My point is this: There is hope in the darkest darkness, thanks to God.
Speaking of difficult times, the audience of 1 Peter knew suffering for the faith (4:12-19). Yet God was with them, not only spiritually via the Holy Spirit, but also through each other. We human beings ought to help each other to, in the words of 1 Peter 4:8,
preserve an intense love for each other (The New Jerusalem Bible)
and use our gifts from God for the common good. What does Jesus look like? Hopefully, he looks like you, O reader, like me, and like many other people. As we prepare, to celebrate the arrival of Christ nearly two thousand years ago, may we first recognize those through whom Christ is present with us today.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 3, 2011 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHN OWEN SMITH, UNITED METHODIST BISHOP IN GEORGIA
THE FEAST OF SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY IN ASIA
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/light-in-the-darkness/
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Above: Cloud in Sunlight
A Little Bit of Light Makes a Big Difference
JANUARY 22, 2023
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Isaiah 9:1-4 (New Revised Standard Version):
But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
The people who have walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness–
on them light has shined.
You have multiplied the nation,
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as people exult when dividing plunder.
For the yoke of their burden,
and the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
Psalm 27:1, 4-9 (New Revised Standard Version):
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
One thing I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the LORD,
and to inquire in his temple.
For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will set me high on a rock.
Now my head is lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the LORD.
Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud,
be gracious to me and answer me!
Come,
my heart says,
seek his face!
Your face, LORD, do I seek.
Do not hide your face from me.
Do not turn your servant away in anger,
you who have been my help.
Do not cast me off, do not forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
1 Corinthians 1:10-18 (New Revised Standard Version):
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says,
I belong to Paul,
or
I belong to Apollos,
or
I belong to Cephas,
or
I belong to Christ.
Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power. For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Matthew 4:12-23 (New Revised Standard Version):
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulon, land of Naphtali,
on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles–
the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.
From that time Jesus began to proclaim,
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.
As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea– for they were fishermen. And he said to them,
Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.
Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.
The Collect:
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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The central theme in the Sundays after the Epiphany is the spread of the Christian message to the Gentiles. This reminds us that message of Jesus is for all people, that God seeks to draw all people around the heavenly throne. St. Peter came to understand this lesson, that God shows no partiality, but that all who follow God please God, regardless of who they are or from where they come.
You, O reader, might notice that the readings for the Third Sunday after the Epiphany fit neatly with those for the Second Sunday. This demonstrates the beauty and utility of a lectionary. Thus my next remarks fit well with those for the previous Sunday.
Everyone has a calling from God to be a positive influence and a light. The nature of light in darkness is such that even a little light makes a great difference; it can be the difference between standing in the pitch dark and having one’s bearings, knowing where one is and identifying the route one needs to take. This light is for the common good, as are the gifts of the Holy Spirit. So to use the light for selfish, self-aggrandizing ends is sinful and destructive to the faith community. Actually, the faith community is at its peak when it permits everyone’s light to shine to its full potential. Human divisions–such as politics, economics, gender, race, and ethnicity–are irrelevant to the potential of one’s light from God.
KRT
Written on June 15, 2010
Above: The Traditional Site of the Birth of Jesus, at the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, Israel
Love Descended
DECEMBER 25, 2023
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The Collect:
O God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of your only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that we, who joyfully receive him as our Redeemer, may with sure confidence behold him when he comes to be our Judge; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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The Revised Common Lectionary lists three sets of readings for Christmas Day.
Set One:
Isaiah 9:2-7
Psalm 96
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)
Set Two:
Isaiah 62:6-12
Psalm 97
Titus 3:4-7
Luke 2:(1-7), 8-20
Set Three:
Isaiah 52:7-10
Psalm 98
Hebrews 1:1-4, (5-12)
John 1:1-14
I choose to list the scriptural citations for Christmas Day and proceed to my thoughts.
Part One:
December 25 is the first day of Christmas; January 5 is the last. There are twelve days of Christmas. So I encourage everyone to think in terms of this sacred time, not commercial time. I live in North America, where many retailers put out their Christmas displays before Halloween. History tells me that many Evangelicals over time have either ignored Christmas (as too Roman Catholic) or preferred it as a secular, commercial celebration of the family, or complained about excessive commercialization. (They have correct in this matter only in the last example. For more details, follow this link.
So I hope you, O reader, will keep a sacred Christmas season without falling into crankiness about crass commercialism. Life is too short to be habitually irritated. Let us enjoy God instead.
I refer you also to this post.
Part Two:
We bore the image of God yet disregarded God, gave God inadequate attention, mistreated each other, institutionalized injustice, and misunderstood divine demands.
So God spoke through the Prophets.
Yet we persisted in our misguided ways.
So Love descended, became one of us (yet much more), and demonstrated righteousness.
We murdered Love.
Yet God raised Love from the dead.
We persist in our misguided ways.
And God is still speaking.
Are we listening?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 4, 2010 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHN XXIII, BISHOP OF ROME
http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2011/11/26/love-descended/
ADVENT, CHRISTMAS, AND EPIPHANY DEVOTIONS 
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