Friends and Neighbors, 

Watching the news, it is easy to feel anger, sadness, and despair. While the characters change, the stories are familiar. The struggles of power, love, and justice echo through human history. Our scriptures engage those stories as the prophets speak to the powerful and call for just treatment of the poor. Jesus comes demonstrating that power isn't about ruling over. Instead, Jesus comes declaring forgiveness for those who have done wrong, health for the sick, and food for the hungry. Knowing that message doesn't mean that living it out is easy. It takes some faith to ask hard questions and not be paralyzed by fear. It takes some imagination. 

The Hebrew scholar, The Rev. Walter Brueggemann, summed up his work in his book The Prophetic Imagination. The prophets had some imagination as they declared a future of abundance, even when the people were in exile. There was also judgment and a call to repentance in the prophets and in the teachings of Jesus. We imagine in so many ways when we come together to worship. We call ourselves "the body of Christ" and then I give you blessed bread and tell you that it is "the body of Christ." We imagine that we are praying with saints who have come before us and the faithful around the world. Imagination is an important part of faith. 

Can we imagine speaking up for justice and peace while so many voices call for war and violence? Can we imagine critiquing our culture that gives rise to hatred and violence rather than name-calling and insulting those who are enamored with it? Can we imagine showing mercy to those who are scattered, afraid, and wounded by oppressive uses of power? We do imagine that as we feed our neighbors, advocate for justice, and welcome those who have been turned away. That is not a new story or a novel mission for the Church. We continue in the line of prophets and saints who have imagined. May we be faithful in calling each other to imagine what Christ will do working through us. 

Peace, 

Fr. John Mark