Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.”
NL Daily Devotion for Thursday, July 23, 2020
by R. Fergus Moir, Clergy Stuff
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote about avoiding the “internal violence of the spirit,” which was the temptation to bitterness and anger. This idea is an integral part of his model of nonviolent direct action. He calls people to always approach the other with a spirit of love and forgiveness. Whether or not Dr. King was referring directly to this passage from Ephesians, the wisdom is clearly timeless and solid.
And so challenging. In light of our current political climate here in the States, the abusive violence in our policing, the systematic oppression of BIPOC and LGBTQ+, how can anyone in those communities or allies of those communities not feel bitterness? How on earth can I feel tenderhearted and forgiving of those in positions of power who deliberately perpetuate injustice for their own benefit?
Without God, I can’t. But with God, all things are possible.
Loving God, fill me with compassion even for those whose actions are harmful to others, that through me, your love might break down barriers and engender positive change. Amen.
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