This blog provides a meditation on the Episcopal daily readings along with headline from world news:
SPANISH YOUNG PEOPLE DEMAND REAL DEMOCRACY NOW 
Colossians 3:1-11
3So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). 6On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient.* 7These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. 8But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive* language from your mouth. 9Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices 10and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. 11In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!
Not this easy, unfortunately...
The author keeps the true Pauline balance between the splendid things which have already happened to people of faith and the even more splendid things to come. Believers have already died, but they still must put to death their earthly sins. They have already stripped off the old self but they must put on Christ. They are living the new life but it is nevertheless hidden with Christ in God. It’s difficult to make logical sense of this but it makes good existential sense. Yes, I have over time died to much of the grasping self I know so well; but not wholly, as aspects of it struggle back into life every other day of the week. Yes, I know something of the life Christ shares with his people, but it can vanish in self or triviality every other day of the week. So I am “rescued, but only in hope” and cling to the promise that that the “real me” is hidden with Christ in God, and that I also will be “revealed with him in glory.” Meantime I must share the life of others like me in the community where there are no social, racial, sexual or economic barriers. But what community is that? The Church?-Aye, right! The real church too is hidden with Christ and must struggle continually to be “renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator.” Again the scripture amazes us by its delicacy and depth.
Luke 7:1-17
1. 7After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. 3When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. 4When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy of having you do this for him, 5for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.’ 6And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; 7therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. 8For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this”, and the slave does it.’ 9When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’ 10When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health. 11 Soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. 12As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. 13When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’ 14Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, ‘Young man, I say to you, rise!’ 15The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen among us!’ and ‘God has looked favourably on his people!’ 17This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country. 
These two miracles are intended by Luke to show:
1. Jesus’ attention to those who have no status in his society: a foreign soldier and a widow with one son who has died.
2. Jesus’ approval of the soldier’s analysis of his power: it comes from above and commands obedience from below.
3. Jesus’ impatience with social taboos. He accompanies a Gentile; he touches a bier. His desire to give life is impatient with everything that gets in the way. This “heavenly impatience” of Jesus is well caught in Charles Causley’s poem about him, “The Ballad of the Bread man” which says: “He was charged with bringing the dead to life/ no man was that prisoner’s friend.”
Emmock's Blog 