1 Peter 3:13-22

Easter 6 – Year A

1 Peter 3:13-22

Sometimes we leave ourselves orphaned by not doing what we know we should or doing what is unhelpful. This is in many ways a worse kind of orphaning than that of being left by what we understood as family.

A key here is the universal issue of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid it, including orphaning our better self. Both Jesus and Buddha ask us to both embrace and detach from suffering as it is in that impossible place of detached embrace that we find a new way through.

As we begin a new round of United Methodists in General Conference there appears to be some additional suffering ahead. The next days will clarify some of it. We’ll see if the ark continues to hold together or whether the offal of our accumulated traditions will finally sink us. More details in days to come.