From the Torah, Prophets and through the Gospels, Acts and Epistles - God gives preferential treatment to the poor and downtrodden. Why? Because the world creates them, exploits them, abuses them and destroys them, but God loves them.
Israel's history starts with God choosing sides against the most powerful and wealthy nation on the planet and its Pharaoh. God sided with the slaves who were owned, exploited and abused by their masters.
God sent word through the prophets often that the poor in the land were being held down, exploited and abused by the wealthy and that God was not pleased - that just because the nation had military strength and relative prosperity (on the backs of the poor) did not mean that they were favored by God, but rather that God would bring them down (exiled three times). God sided with the powerless and poor.
The Gospels are a message of hope to a people down trodden by the Roman Empire and abused by their religious leaders and king who were in collusion with empire. Jesus' message was one of non-participation in the values of empire and the living of Kingdom values based on equitable treatment, inclusion, generosity, care for the most vulnerable and resistance to the systems that hurt God's people. God sided with the oppressed, exploited and abused.
Jesus was born into poverty and was immediately made a Refugee - an "illegal" alien in a foreign land. With whom do you think Jesus identifies in our land now?
With whom do you think God identifies in 'muriKKKa?
Do you think God sides with the wealthy and powerful who are hurting so many?
Do you think God sides with the hateful and abusive?
Do you think God sides with the ignorant and deceitful?
Do you think God sides with those who give God lip service, but are in collusion with them?
Do you think God sides with those who go against Kingdom values for personal gain?
Do you think God sides with those who twist God's word to serve their own purposes?
I invite you to read the scripture, and particularly the Gospels - particularly what Jesus taught in statements and parables, commanded and modeled in how to live in this part of God's Kingdom, here and now.
I dare you to do so with an open mind, applying what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for us in our political, economic and social situation here and now, in this part of God's Kingdom.
The soul of our nation is at stake.
Your soul is at stake.
Pastor Jamie
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