This blog provides a meditation on the Episcopal daily readings along with a headline from world news:

CHRISTIAN CRITIC OF PAKISTAN BLASPHEMY LAW SHOT DEAD

Killed for standing with the weak

2 Corinthians 11:21-33

21 But whatever anyone dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23Are they ministers of Christ? I am talking like a madman—I am a better one: with far greater labours, far more imprisonments, with countless floggings, and often near death. 24Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked; for a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers and sisters; 27in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, hungry and thirsty, often without food, cold and naked. 28And, besides other things, I am under daily pressure because of my anxiety for all the churches. 29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I am not indignant?

30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus (blessed be he for ever!) knows that I do not lie. 32In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas set a guard on the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.

Paul says that he’ll only boast of his “weakness”, that is, his vulnerability, and he keeps his word as he mentions the dangers and suffering of his life as an apostle. It’s not merely an impressive list; it reminded the comfortable Corinthians of the cost of their faith, as it does the modern reader. Following the crucified Christ means willingness to suffer and if we’re not, we should be honest enough to have nothing to do with him.

Paul sums up by avowing his instinctive identification with the underdog, with the one who is bullied: who is weak and I am not weak? who is made to stumble and I am not indignant? That’s what we want to hear from church leaders. Can the Holy Father say it? (??) Can Rowan Williams? (Maybe..) Can I? ( No).

But Shahbaz Bhatti can. He stood with those condemned by an unjust blasphemy law in Pakistan and has been killed for doing so. “These are they who have come out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they stand before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple.” (Revelation Chapter 7)

Matthew 6:24-34

24 ‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Solomon in his glory

25 ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” 32For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

34 ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

wild orchid

Jesus says:

1. We are part of God’s creation along with his birds and flowers. We may have been given more importance than them, but we share the life and livelihood of all creatures.

2. The earth will sustain us if we learn to walk lightly. Unlike the birds we sow and reap; unlike the flowers we toil and spin, but like them we can live on what God gives: there is plenty for our need but not our greed.

3. This is not a recipe for  misery. Just as the flowers are beautiful in what God gives, so our characters will be clothed with God’s grace.

4. If we work for the rule of God and his justice on earth, our needs will be met.

I know people who have lived this way and even Solomon in all his glory was not as glorious as they are.