Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour out a spirit of compassion and supplication on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that, when they look on the one whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.”
NL Daily Devotion for Friday, December 20, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
This is mind blowing to me. God says that Israel will fight its enemies, yet have compassion on anyone who dies in the conflict, and truly grieve their loss. The message to me? We cannot take any such conflict lightly. Violence is never—never!—the first and best option. We are called to see our enemies as precious and beloved, no matter how they have harmed us. This does not mean that we accept harm; there are times action must be taken in self-defense. But when others are hurt, we should see this as deeply grieving. Can you imagine? Recognizing the humanity of those we are in conflict with? Loving them and seeing them as precious? Would there ever be war?
Are there ways in which I characterize those I disagree with as less than fully loved and precious human beings?
