First, a confession! This is based on the third sermon I prepared for this week. I will put a link to the first on the breaking-open-the-word.org website, but given the journey and trauma seen in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, the remembrance of 9-11, and the assassination of a high-profile activist shown graphically in real-time, a different direction pastorally seemed more appropriate
Have you ever wondered what it truly means to live out Jesus’ mission in today’s broken world? Reflecting on the Messianic mission, drawing from Luke’s Gospel, here Jesus proclaims good news to the poor, restores sight to the blind, and liberates the oppressed. Through vivid examples of contemporary violence and injustice, we are challenged to move beyond mere thoughts and prayers to embodied action.
Drawing inspiration from theologian Miroslav Volf’s work on reconciliation, we are called to weave together biblical narratives of transformation – from Moses’ intercession for wayward Israel to David’s journey from sin to redemption – demonstrating how God’s embrace in Christ enables reconciliation across seemingly insurmountable divides.
Authentic Christian faith demands more than pious thoughts; it requires us to actively participate in God’s redemptive work. Just as Jesus shared meals with society’s outcasts and restored the excluded, we too are called to open our eyes, listen attentively, and extend warm embraces to those in need. The urgent message is clear: prayer must be coupled with action, for we cannot genuinely pray “Your kingdom come” while refusing to live kingdom-shaped lives.
Alternate Text: Seeing but not Seeing
STOP PRESS
Feedback from a faithful and prayerful reader that addresses an inconsistency in the attributed quote of Volf.
The first instance reads “won’t”, and the repeated quote changed “won’t” to “unwilling.”
Rationale and my reply follows:
I suspect that Grammarly correction had a part in the difference between “won’t” and “unwilling.”
The source text is no longer in publication, but an interview in The Washington Post in 2017 attributes the quote to Volf, and uses the word “unwilling.”
”Won’t” is probable as well according to other sources, but I suspect, given the general high-language level used at Yale, a contraction to “won’t” would not be viewed with any sense of integrity.
Unwilling is a more interesting nuance (will not, would not contracted indicates a sense of finality and stubbornness that is unmovable). Unwilling, to me, is more likely to be a consideration of the cost that speaking out may entail.
Thanks for the observation and feedback, it is very helpful.
Breaking Open 