Christian Reflection and Prayer

Verse

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and
a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you: Do not resist an
evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right
cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue
you and take your coat, give your cloak as well."
Matthew 5:38-40

Voice

That is our vocation: to convert the enemy into a guest
and to create the free and fearless space where
brotherhood and sisterhood can be formed and
fully experienced.
Henri J.M. Nouwen


Prayer

Forgive, O Lord, what we have been
Direct what we are,
And order what we shall be,
For thy mercy's sake. Amen.
1000 World Prayers

(Sojourners)

Verse:

[God] raises up the poor from the dust;
[God] lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes and inherit
a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth
are the Lord’s, and on them [God] has set
the world. 1 Samuel 2:8

Voice:

Christian faith does not cut us off from the
world but immerses us in it; the church is
not a fortress set apart from the city. The
church follows Jesus, who lived, worked,
struggled, and died in the midst of a city, in
the polis.
Archbishop Oscar Romero

Prayer:

O God, to those who have hunger give bread:
And to those who have bread give the hunger
for justice. Amen.
Latin American Prayer
(Soujourners)

"On the street I saw a girl
cold and shivering in a thin
dress, with little hope of a
decent meal.  I became angry
and said to God:  'Why did
you permit this?  Why don't
you do something about it?'
For awhile God said nothing.
That night He replied quite
suddenly:  'I certainly did
something about it.
I MADE YOU' "

"CHRISTIANS" DO SOMETHING
ABOUT IT!

Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has
come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with
you to keep you from sinning.”
The people remained at a distance, while Moses
approached the thick darkness where God was. —
Exodus 20:20–21

What is our reaction to all this darkness? How do we react
to the fear, the confusion, the sheer terror of not knowing
how things are going to turn out? Do we keep our distance
from God? Or do we get closer to Him?

Many people are tempted to keep their distance. Going
through dark periods can make us feel abandoned or
rejected by God. But Moses teaches us an amazing lesson
in these verses — God is in the darkness! Dark times are
not the time to turn away from God – they are precisely the
moment to draw closer to Him.

In Psalm 91:15, God said, “I will be with him in trouble.”
God is with us in our most troubling times. It’s up to us to
grab hold of Him and let Him carry us through.

When God created the world, first there was darkness and
then there was light. First there was night, and then there
was day. If you find yourself in a dark period right now, don’t
be afraid. Do as Moses did and keep walking forward in faith.
If you persevere, in that dark place is precisely where you will
find God – and then there will be light.

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein