Scripture: Ephesians 4:31-32
Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.
Thought for the Day: On this day in 1572, a ‘special’ marriage occurred between the soon to be King Henry IV of France and Margaret of Valois. This was a strange marriage as Henry was a Huguenot (French Protestant) and Margaret was a Catholic, but the hope was that it would create some reconciliation between this two religious traditions. It didn’t initially work, for six days later was the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre in which more than 3,000 Protestants were murdered, including many of the Huguenot elite who had come to Paris for the wedding. There should have been some sense of the tension when the groom was not allowed to be in the sanctuary of Notre Dame for his wedding. Instead, he was forced to remain outside during the entire ceremony (I’ve always wondered how they did the vows). King Henry IV nearly lost his life in those days following his wedding, but he eventually recanted his Huguenot faith and became Catholic. From this new place of religious authority, he was able to make the Edict of Nantes which stated that France’s national religion was Catholic, but all other groups would be granted equal status. It worked for a short period of time, but violence between religious traditions returned. Eventually, Henry would return to his Protestant roots which probably was one of the reasons he experienced numerous assassination attempts, including an attack by a Catholic zealot that killed him.
I often hear people wondering where all the religiously-based violence and ugliness started, and though it did not begin in France, it is clear that Christianity has failed miserably in its history to provide an alternative vision. Throughout history, groups and nations have declared war in the name of their deity, and even within Christianity, we have used unique theological perspectives of Jesus to justify violence. Attempts to gain political power through violent means have used the name of the one who was called Prince of Peace and invited his followers to turn the other cheek. In the above passage (which I used two days ago), Paul pleads with the followers of Jesus to represent their teacher and savior in their relationships with one another. Paul understood that Christianity could not speak authoritatively or authentically to those outside the community if it did not first establish a clear vision of Jesus within its own community.
Prayer: I want to follow your embodiment of grace, O Lord. I am thankful for Jesus and his witness, and I seek your help as I treat others as Jesus would treat them…even when they do not agree with me or even like me. Amen.
THIS SUNDAY
August 23, 2015
Special Services–Blessing Our Educators
Blessing of the Backpacks at 9:30 and 11:00 Services
Consider Inviting a Friend/Neighbor/Relative
