Today’s Author: Scott Tunseth
In the past six years I have had the privilege of working on four books with Walter Brueggemann. Always a grace-filled experience. Just yesterday Walter sent me another proposal for a book, and I replied immediately, saying we would consider it for sure. In his reply he thanked me and signed off by saying, “Be well and stay sane amid all of this insanity.”
He didn’t have to explain what he meant. In fact, I told him in reply that those insanities are just what have been on my mind of late, thanks in part to our adult education committee at POP. In the last three weeks we’ve focused on Christian Nationalism and the deepening threat of climate change. And then the Supreme Court leak regarding Roe vs Wade dropped like a bomb. And every day we see the crushing images of bombed neighborhoods in Ukraine. To top of my musing about insanities, this past Sunday Kathy and I attended a performance by the Singers of Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard https://www.conspirare.org/considering-matthew-shepard/
Some of you may remember that Matthew Shepard was a gay 19-year-old student at the University of Wyoming who was kidnapped on campus by two guys who tied him to a log fence out in the country, beat him, and left him there to die. He wasn’t found for eighteen hours. He died six days later without regaining consciousness. The performance was breathtaking and moving but also a dive into the insanity of bigotry and senseless violence. As one of the songs says, “he was just an ordinary boy.” But his “difference” made him a target.
Sometimes we just have to live in our Psalm 22 moments: “My God, why have you forsaken us?” Even the One we follow uttered such words from the cross. We need to mourn the fact that we do live on the corner of fear and insanity. We follow a guy who, like Matthew Shepard, was tied to a tree and left to die. His message of love and justice made him a target.
And what’s more, the apostle Paul reminds us that “we preach Christ crucified,” and “the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God” (see 1 Corinthians 1:18-31).
For today’s insanities, that word will have to be enough.
Merciful God, when will the insanities cease? How will they cease? Hear our cries, O God. Hear our cries. Amen
Mid-week devotions are authored by members of our community. If you are interested in creating a trio of reflections to be shared on an upcoming Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, contact Pastor Peter.