Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and never give up. He said, “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’” – Luke 18:1-3
As we seek to be as persistent for justice as the widow in this parable who went before a judge who cared not, I admonish all of us not to give up on seeking the Kingdom of God before our decision makers in Wyoming and nationally. Don’t give up on protecting God’s creation against greed. Don’t give up on welcoming foreigners, especially refugees. Don’t give up on love winning over prejudice, intolerance and hatred. Don’t give up on the potential we could achieve through meaningful dialogues to seek solutions for the common good. The injustices we see must motivate us, not discourage us. Otherwise would be a sin, an absence from God, to allow ourselves to be silenced and live without hope.
Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow to remind his disciples to “always pray and never give up.” We live in challenging times on so many fronts. But I am comforted by plans for becoming better organized for the future instead of wringing hands in despair.
The Wyoming Association of Churches will provide opportunities to seek justice. We will go to Standing Rock and say “No” to the Dakota Access Pipeline over Thanksgiving.
We will go the Wyoming State Legislature that opens on January 10th to ask our legislators for “Indian Education for All” during the third annual Native Advocacy Days. We will look at the state budget to promote priorities that benefit children and the poor. We will oppose efforts for the state to take control of public lands.
We will go to DC in April 21-24 for Ecumenical Advocacy Days “Confronting Chaos, Forging Community: Challenging Racism, Materialism and Militarization.”
It is time for the Wyoming Association of Churches to re-charge our energies so that our Peace & Justice Team, our Sacred Ground Team and our Spiritual Life Team are ready for the challenging times we live in. If you are not on one of our teams and would like to join, we welcome you!
Fear not. Be bold. Do justice.
Blessings,
Chesie Lee
Dates to Remember:
Pilgrimage to Standing Rock over Thanksgiving – call 307-761-0755 for details.
Wyoming State Legislature begins January 10, 2017 at noon.
Ecumenical Advocacy Days in DC, April 21-24
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