Jesus, “you have some more praying to do!”
John’s Gospel alone is the gospel that says, “Jesus is praying for us.” How awesome is that! He is not only praying for us, here and now…but he is also praying for…
… future generations yet to come.
Jesus, “you have some more praying to do!”
Jesus prayed for “unity.” He prayed for “oneness.” He prayed for “love” between people. He prays that we might love, like he and the father love.
That is so cool! So awesome! So very much needed right about now…
But Jesus, “you’ve got some more praying to do!”
No matter what we read today – all we hear about is…“divisiveness”…we are “a nation divided.” “Unity” seems to be elusive. “Oneness,” escapes us…
All that you read, all that you hear about is negativity. It comes across as being constantly icky.
You’ve read it. You yourself you’ve heard it!
George Bush is on record as saying: “At times, it seems like the forces “pulling us apart” are stronger than “the forces binding us together.”
We live in strange times…
There’s been a “sharp spike” in the contempt that partisans express for their opponents…on both sides of the aisle. While that seems like “nothing new,” the divisive lines are growing “deeper and deeper” and are getting more entrenched and embedded…
People are digging in…
On many racial issues, whites and blacks see “different realities.” Again the chasm is ever-expanding, ever-growing. Not good!
Prior to his election, Barak Obama said, “Even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the “spin masters” and “negative ad peddlers” who embrace the politics of “anything goes.”
“Well, I say to them tonight, there’s not a liberal America and a conservative America; there’s the United States of America. There’s not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there’s the United States of America.”
A divided America…a divided people is not a good thing.
Jesus, “you have some praying to do.”
But words may not be enough to overcome those “fraying forces.” There are always those who want to “point the finger,” “place the blame,” but the fact remains, “WE” have much work to be done. The onus is on us.
Work is necessary on all sides and by all peoples, including us, right – here.!
The church too, finds itself increasingly divided. “People of conscience,” “people of heartfelt belief and prayer” find themselves on differing sides of the various “debated issues.”
Many are the voices that continually say, “We must come together, we must rise above the fray…”
Historically, Americans “have come together,” at least briefly, in times of crisis…
But Lord knows, we do not need another crisis! Our hands are full, our plate runneth over… Jesus, “you have some more praying to do!”
One common argument in “academic circles” is and has been that “polarization and distrust” have been intensified by the Internet, which is awash in “misinformation,” funneling people into “echo chambers,” and “providing forums” for anonymous hate speech.
Our President is right… the mainstream news media is “hardly innocent” when it comes to “national divisiveness,” because journalists typically find “conflict more interesting than harmony.”
Now obviously, we cannot put this all on the Lord.
These are “OUR problems, and WE have created them.” WE are the ones that must be working toward conflict resolution.
It is said that
Jesus, “you’ve got some more praying to do!” But then, SO DO WE. “the path” out of moments like these is “not to withdraw,” or “to shout each other down,” but to reach out to each other — even if it’s difficult — and find some common ground.” We have to “listen to one another.” But more than that we have “to hear” what the other person is saying.
Now the question is do we have “the stomachs and the tolerance” to do what is necessary?
I pray it is so. And please, keep praying!