This week we have focused on the commitments of our Baptism:
“to live among God’s faithful people,
to hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper,
to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed,
to serve all people, following the example of Jesus, and
to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.”
Today I am sharing thoughts on the last of these—"striving for justice and peace in all the earth.”
Our Baptismal commitment is that you and I “strive” to be peace seeking and justice loving people in our world. How do we “strive” to bring justice and peace into our lives? I believe it begins and ends with telling the truth. Someone has said “Tell the truth and your past is covered, tell a lie and your future is determined.” In order to live as “washed” people of God we need to commit to telling the truth about God and the truth surrounding ourselves.
The truth about God is that he loves us and has claimed us for his own. We are his daughter, his sone, his child. We belong to him. And belonging to him means we are extensions of his as we live and breathe. What he seeks we seek, who he is, we are.
We are loved by him and invited and called to bring his truth and justice to all people. He loves not only us, but he also loves the whole creation he has made. He desires for us to care for creation and all creatures of creation with dignity and respect. Dignity and respect are central in our baptismal covenant committing us to strive to give, in the closing words of our Pledge of Allegiance “liberty and justice for all.”
You and I are empowered to “walk wet”, walk as baptized and redeemed children of our God standing alongside of any who are feeling the pain of injustice. This is not easy, and the task might seem to be impossible. But remember this, while it is true that we have much work to do, beginning with ourselves, know that we can do it with and through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us. That is the gift of Baptism, God living in us and through us bringing peace and justice to all.
Prayer: Lead me and guide me O Lord to strive for justice and peace in my life and in the world around me. Amen.
Pastor Jerry
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