Christian Reflection and Prayer

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

"Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you
more than anything on earth."
Psalm 73:25 NLT

Heart's Desire

"In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when
the Beavers inform the children that Aslan is on
the move, the children feel a strange stirring in
their hearts. Peter in particular says he's "longing"
to meet this Aslan.…he doesn't say he's curious;
he says he's longing, and that carries a very
different meaning….

To long for something means you've had it in your
mind for a while, the way you fix your heart on
getting that iPod for Christmas…. Longing carries
with it the concept of desire.

Yearning Desire. It's a theme that weaves
throughout the life and works of C. S. Lewis. In
Surprised by Joy, he introduces the concept of
longing as the signature quest of his childhood
and young adulthood.

It wasn't until Lewis converted to Christianity that
he eventually realized what he'd been longing for:
God. Not the Norse gods of the pagan world, not
even the gods or spirits of fantasy worlds, but the
God of the Bible—a real, living Being in whom we
can have life forever.

With our own friends, part of our role is to help
them understand that their longing comes from an
inborn desire to know the King of the universe. And,
like the Beavers with Peter, we are to tell our friends
about the King—that his return is imminent, that he
is on the move even now.

We're all longing to meet the true King. Will you
recognize his name when you hear it? Will you help
others do the same?

adapted from Walking Through the Wardrobe by
Sarah Arthur (Tyndale) pp 77-83

Scripture:

“But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you
did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight
of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the
land I give them.’” — Numbers 20:12

This is an example of how heroes in the Hebrew Bible were
not some other-worldly, perfect human beings. Rather, they
were flesh and blood, human and fallible, just like you and
me. It’s encouraging to realize that even the greatest people
of all time messed up at one point or another. Moses may
have failed, but he certainly was no failure. We don’t have
to be perfect to be great – we just need to keep trying.

King Solomon tells us in Proverbs 24:16, “though the
righteous fall seven times, they rise again.” The wicked,
however, fall only once. What’s the difference between the
righteous and the wicked? Both fall down, but the righteous
person gets up. A righteous person will never give up. He
keeps trying.

Friends, whether we are trying to reach a lofty goal, or just
trying to become a better person, we must remember this
wise advice: We don’t become failures when we fail. We
only become failures when we stop trying. So next time
you fall, get right back up and carry on.

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

(excerpts taken from Holy Land Moments)