Christian Reflection and Prayer

Verse

 

[God] has sent me to bind up the
broken hearted, to proclaim freedom
for the captives and release from
darkness for the prisoners ...
Isaiah 61:1

 

Voice

 

We must be free not because we
claim freedom, but because we
practice it.
William Faulkner

 

Prayer

 

God, open our eyes to see that the
fruit of life comes when we plant
seeds of hope among those whom
the world rejects.
adapted from Common Prayer

 

(Sojourners,   sojo.net)

sing to the LORD, all the earth. — Psalm 96:1

 

Albert Einstein once said that the definition of
insanity is doing the same thing over and over
again — and expecting different results. And yet,
as human beings we tend to be creatures of habit
even as we wish for different circumstances in our
lives and in our world. As Einstein made clear,
however, there is only one way to change the
circumstances we see in our lives: If we don’t like
the results, we need to change the equation.

For far too long humanity has sung the same song.
A song of war and sadness. A song of depravity and
deception. We have sung dirges of hate and ballads
of oppression. Yes, there have been high notes in
history, and at times, even a great symphony. Yet
by and large, our song has stayed the same with the
same sorry chorus. History tends to repeat itself. But
it doesn’t have to.

 

Friends, it’s time for us to change our tune. It’s time
to do something different so our world can be different.
And the changes start with us. Do you dance to a
song of worry all day long? Try to tune in to the
wavelength of faith. Do you walk to the beat of an
angry drum? Try to slow the rhythm and sing a tranquil
tune instead. An amazing thing happens when even one
person whistles a happy, catchy new tune. Everyone
around them wants to join in!

 

So “sing to the LORD a new song,” your new song, and
soon others will be singing it, too.

 

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein