Lenten Meditations: March 7

I’ve lived so long a quiet life,
In a world I’ve made small,
That even my own mind changes slowly.
I’m a danger only to myself,
Like the daydreaming night watchman
Smoking his cigar
Near the dynamite shed.

from “To Be a Danger” by C.G. Hanzlicek

 

Reflection

Play it safe. Don’t make waves. Be careful. Err on the side of caution.

It’s easy to lead a quiet life, taking as few risks as possible, protecting one’s physical and emotional territory. We do that individually, but often we also do that as a church. We want to maintain the comfort of what we’ve known for decades, treasuring the familiar and honoring tradition. But our world’s evils are so dangerous, that we need to be dangerous to the evils of the world. We must risk making things right even if that means sometimes getting it wrong. We need to expand the walls of our small world and cease simply daydreaming about justice. Are we—am I—brave enough to do that?

 

Prayer

Spirit of Justice, grant me the courage to risk my own comfort to bring comfort and justice to those who need
me most.

Amen