March 31, 2021 (wednesday in holy week)

For today's readings, click HERE.

by Emma Friend

The Old Testament reading encourages us to fearlessly stand against our “adversaries” and those who do wrong. It urges us to find strength in God to defy those committing sins and injustices in our world, to never shy away from their attacks and instead to have the “tongue of a teacher” to speak our truths of goodness.

It is no secret that the world is rife with these adversaries, those who commit injustices in the world. Social inequality affects a countless amount of people around the world every day. Lives are lost, families separated, homes and ecosystems are destroyed, rights are restricted, people go hungry, all at the hands of people who thrive under oppression of others. These people cannot be allowed to go unopposed.

This is not the easy path, but the path that is necessary. It is the one that has the potential to end wars and save lives. The one that will undoubtedly cause strife and conflict, but will bend toward justice, as Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. said.

Love thy neighbor as thyself, one of the most important lessons in the Bible. But love is not just a passive action. Let your love be heard in how you seek out opportunities to fight for peace and justice for all people. Let your love be heard in how you engage with your adversaries to speak messages and lessons of goodness that will lead to harmony between people.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige, and even his life for the welfare of others. In dangerous valleys and hazardous pathways, he will lift some bruised and beaten brother to a higher and more noble life.” -Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.