A Friendly Advocate

Easter 6 – Year A

A Friendly Advocate abides with you - whether you like it or not, whether you recognize it or not.

So it is my hope has been raised again. The presentations of new directions and worship experiences here at General Conference have been the best I’ve seen in many years of attending. In the past the grand rhetoric has not translated into gracious votes. The Young Peoples’ and Laity addresses were clearly different than we’ve heard before. Hopefully a cultural shift will further crack our seeming intractable fundamentalism of needing some social group to demonize. Just as the Berlin Wall came tumbling down in just a moment, so might our mis-legislation on sexual/gender orientation. However, the beneath-the-surface tactics of the religious right have yet to surface regarding this and other issues waiting in the wings – adding transgender to homosexuality being incompatible with “Christian” teaching and immigration.

May a G*D still unknown to us, reveal yet one more resurrection. To reorient ourselves to life, rather than discrimination and death, would be worth making a joyful noise about.

So, what will today bring? Will it bring decisions to do no harm, to do good, to stay in love with G*D? Will we continue to divide G*D’s love up so we get more than our share (as though love came in shares)? Whichever way it appears, may we continue trusting that it will be more than worth it to pay attention to gentleness, reverence, and resurrection.