Sunday, March 8
The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money-changers seated at their tables. 15Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16He told those who were selling the doves, ‘Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a market-place!’ 17His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’ –John 2:13-17
I like my sacred conversations gentle–patiently building trust, carefully listening to the truth of each other’s lives, gradually releasing our fears of difference, slowly discovering common ground. The sacred conversations I like the best are the ones that leave us all feeling good–affirmed, honored, treasured.
I am taken aback every time I read the story of Jesus overturning the tables in the temple. I’m sure the money-changers didn’t feel affirmed in that moment; Jesus’ approach wasn’t particularly gentle. Instead he was purposely provocative. Jesus did that a lot: he confronted greed, prejudice, and abuse of power directly, without mincing or softening his words.
As I write this, I am watching coverage of the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday”–March 7, 1965, when civil rights marchers were attacked as they walked across the Edmund Pettus bridge in Selma. Alabama. The coverage reminds me of a truth lifted up in this gospel reading. Sacred conversations don’t always make us feel good. Sometimes they confront us with realities we would like to ignore. Sometimes we are called to speak the truth whether or not others are ready to hear it.
I will always prefer my sacred conversations gentle. I pray for strength to speak the truth in love, even when it is hard for others to hear. I pray for grace to hear truths I would rather ignore.
Bless us, God, with strength and grace, that our sacred conversations might lead to justice for all. Amen.