Daily Lesson for July 15, 2016

Today's Daily Lesson comes from Romans chapter 12 verses 9, 10 and 14-21:

9Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor . . . 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.2 Never be wise in your own sight. 17 jRepay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Another terrorist attack.  And so many people now calling for retaliation.  Against who it's not exactly clear.  But that's what terror does to a people -- it makes us so weary that our clarity of distinction gets lost. They're no longer meaningful in a time of war.  This is how we come to accept the ravages we call collateral damage.

My heart is heavy.  I'm weary with the terror. And I'm frustrated by Christians who think a good response would be to just bomb a bunch of people back into the stone age. I'm keep trying to think what Jesus would do and that has me actually remembering what he did. I don't know that I'm ready for that. I desire sacrifice, not mercy.  I prefer to blame -- Obama, Bush, the Muslim religion, the hawks in Washington -- than I do to try love somebody near -- somebody who sees it different from me, somebody who is also afraid and wondering what to do.

There's a scene in Wendell Berry's novel "Jayber Crow" which is living with me yet again today.  Jayber Crow is a small-town barber and while cutting his frenemy Troy's the two get into a fight over those protesting the Vietnam War.  The story is told in Jayber's first-person voice.

"One Saturday evening, while Troy was waiting his turn in the chair, the subject was started and Troy said – it was about the third thing said – 'They ought to round up every one of them sons of bitches and put them right in front of the damned communists, and then whoever killed who, it would be all to the good.'

There was a little pause after that. Nobody wanted to try to top it . . .

It was hard to do, but I quit cutting hair and looked at Troy. I said, 'Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you.'

Troy jerked his head up and widened his eyes at me. 'Where did you get that crap?'

I said, 'Jesus Christ.'

And Troy said, 'Oh.'

It would have been a great moment in the history of Christianity, except that I did not love Troy."

I keep thinking about that story this morning, thinking to myself that the one thing I know Jesus would do and have me to do is try to love Troy.