Christian Reflection and Prayer

“If you lend money to one of my people among you who i
s needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no
interest.” — Exodus 22:25

A wealthy person may have every material and physical
thing, but there is more to be had in the spiritual realm.
The poor help the wealthy by giving them the opportunity
to serve the Lord and earn great rewards from above. As
it says in Proverbs, “The generous will themselves be
blessed, for they share their food with the poor” (22:9).

So next time someone asks you for help, or you spot
someone in need, remember they represent precious,
holy souls. God calls them “My people.” If they are His
people, surely they should be “our people” as well, and
we should treat them with dignity, respect, compassion,
and love.

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

(excerpts taken from Holy Land Moments)

An unreliable messenger stumbles into trouble, but
a reliable messenger brings healing.
Proverbs 13:17 NLT

A credible message needs a credible messenger
because charisma without character is catastrophe.
Peter Kuzmic

Letters from God

A U.S. ambassador resides in a foreign country and
yet lives on U.S.-owned property. Though the laws of
that land may differ from ours, the ambassador is still
responsible to uphold the laws and rules of his own
government. His words and actions can never be
wholly his for he does not act in his own capacity.
When he speaks, he is a messenger for his
government. When he acts, his deeds reflect on the
country he represents. We are Christ's ambassadors
and therefore his messengers. Too often we think that
the message we preach reflects our faith. However,
on a much deeper level it is the message of our
everyday words and actions that are influential. We
are the letter from God that people read. We become
unreliable messengers when we speak crudely, gossip a
bout a neighbor, or act dishonestly.

Our words and actions reflect God, who lives inside us,
to people who never open a Bible or enter a church.
Never forget that you are an ambassador for Christ
and a messenger of hope. Ask his Spirit to empower
you to deliver the Good News with your life and words.

LORD, thank you for allowing me to be your ambassador.
Let my message be honest and true. Help me to
encourage others and to go out of my way to speak a
kind word. Forgive me for times when I have spoken
without thinking. Let me live in such a way that my
words and actions represent you so that my message
may be one of love and hope.

Adapted from The One Year® Book of Praying through
the Bible by Cheri Fuller, Tyndale House Publishers
(2003), entry for April 21.

Last year, Trayvon Martin was stalked and killed.
Last week, a jury in Florida decided there would be
no consequences for the man who shot him. Why?
The jury was instructed to consider the implications
of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which
encourages gun owners to use deadly force when
they feel threatened rather than removing themselves
from harm’s way.

At least one juror has said the law was decisive in
determining that George Zimmerman was “not guilty”
of murdering Trayvon Martin.

Following Jesus’ call to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9),
we must stand OUR ground against laws that legitimize
violence and enable the taking of lives without fear of
consequence.

More than 20 states have enacted “Stand Your Ground”
laws that threaten the safety of our communities and
neighbors by increasing the likelihood of violence. In a
culture where racism still runs deep and states have
enacted concealed carry laws, the results can be deadly.

“Blessed are the peacemakers” is a core tenet of our
faith. Help bring peace to our communities by calling
on state governors to overturn these dangerous laws.

“Stand Your Ground” laws ignore the biblical call to
peacemaking, encouraging us to harm others when
nonviolent alternatives exist. While nothing can undo
the tragedy of Trayvon Martin’s killing, we can prevent
future injustices by repealing “Stand Your Ground” laws.

In faith,
Lisa, Beau, Janelle, and the rest of the Sojourners team