Today's Daily Lesson comes from 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 4:
There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; indeed, star differs from star in glory.
Yesterday the world lost two iconic and iconoclastic churchmen.
The most globally notable was the death of Swiss Catholic priest and theologian Hans Kung. Kung made a name for himself in the 1960s as a reformer within the Catholic Church and ended up being ordered not to teach as a Catholic professor.
The other loss was Broadway member and retired director of citizenship and public policy with the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission. Acerbic, learned, and dry-witted, Weston organized with Caesar Chavez, took on gambling as a state-run policy of harm inflicted on the poor (he lost), and was studying French in the last years of his life.
As a Catholic, Kung called into question the power of the curia and even the doctrine of infallibility of the Pope. As a Baptist, Ware on the other hand had a habit of questioning the infallibility of the Texas Legislature. That should have be self-evident, but it turns out a lot of people in Austin see themselves as just as God-appointed as anyone in the Vatican. And that was essentially what Ware and Kung had in common -- questioning the wisdom and ways of those in power. That, and courage.
Both men were strong and influential voices in their own spheres. Now, this side of Easter, they go from glory unto glory. Though, knowing what I know of each, I don't know that either one would want to make too much of either.
Requiem eternal and rest in peace, gentlemen. We will watch and listen for you in the balcony.
Ryon Price is Senior Pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas.
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