Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.
Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments,
you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my
Father's commandments and abide in his love.
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy
may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This
is my commandment, that you love one another
as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than
this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:9-12

Reflection:

Our joy is found in bringing the light of Christ into the
darkness – into the chaos and the whirlwind of suffering.

In the liberating gospel of John, Jesus goes to
considerable lengths to reveal how God is alive in him
and God is alive in us. In that discourse, Jesus invites
us into community with God and offers us a path and a
plan to bring that community to everyone we encounter
and ultimately to all humanity. The guiding principle of
that plan — and the source of our joy — is the command
to love one another as Christ has loved us and to be willing
to give your all for that purpose. The joy then is found in
the commitment to that principle.

When I understand best that the simple principle of love
including love of justice — allows the healing of my own
despair and anguish and replaces them with joy. It is then
that I am overwhelmed by a profound understanding of the
true nature of joy itself: to be standing in the midst of
struggle, surrounded by those yet yearning to see God for
real.

Prayer:

Oh Mighty God may I know the real joy of loving one
another as you first love me.  In your Holy Name Jesus
Christ my Lord and Savior.  Amen!

 “What are we looking at in life?”

We can only be thankful for the things that we notice.
If we are always focused on what’s wrong with our lives,
we’ll miss out on everything that is right. On the other
hand, the more that we look at, focus on, and appreciate
the good in our lives, the more we will enjoy it and be
grateful for our lives.

Today, take the time to really notice and appreciate what
is good in your life. Try making a list, or better yet, keep
a journal of your blessings. Then, thank God for all He
has given to you!

The nation’s attention has been focused on the humanitarian
crisis unfolding at the southern border. Vulnerable children
and their families are fleeing harm and violence in Central
America, voluntarily turning themselves in to border patrol
agents in the hopes of finding safety and shelter in the United
States. While politicians have spent countless hours on TV
debating the issue and assigning blame, nobody is offering
any solutions that offer help to the “widows and orphans in
distress”

27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father
means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and
refusing to let the world corrupt you.
(James 1:27).  New Living Translation (NLT)

The most egregious example of Washington’s failures was
a vote in the Republican-led House to increase border
security measures and end the DACA program. Everyone
acknowledges this legislation was a messaging tool –
members wanted people to think they were doing something
to respond to the gridlock and inaction that have defined this
Congress, especially on immigration-related issues. With
members of Congress leaving Washington for a month-long
recess, a long-term plan for addressing this challenge
remains elusive. What hasn’t changed is the reality of
vulnerable kids – threatened by violence and possible death
running scared for their lives down a very dangerous path.

When you see your representatives out and about in your
community this month, tell them we need to care for orphans
in distress. Demand that Congress respond to this crisis with
compassion and wisdom rather than political posturing.

In faith,
(The Sojourners Immigration Team)