Ashamed No More: Invitation, Challenge and Grace

Summary

Stories of war, disaster, tragedy fill our newspapers and news channels. Innocent people dying from drone attacks, school shootings, and suicide bombers. Intentional acts of violence targeting innocent and not‐soinnocent people alike. It is disheartening to listen to the news or read the newspaper. And yet, there’s also a part of human nature that wants to know,
that wants to see the tragedy, to know the details of what happened and why. Some of that wanting to know is to be able to explain the why of what happened, so that we can then protect ourselves from it happening to us. Some of that wanting to know is to fuel or confirm beliefs we have about the world or other people.

Perhaps that is why some of those with Jesus felt the need to tell him about the innocent Galileans who were killed at worship by Pilate, their blood mingling with the blood of the animals they were sacrificing. There is outrage, and the desire, perhaps, to have this news fuel Jesus’ righteous indignation, and lead him to call for revenge. See how evil Pilate and the Romans are? See how they oppress and kill us? Our own people, on pilgrimage in Jerusalem, gunned down while they were at worship! It is outrageous. We cannot let it go un‐noticed. We cannot let it be un‐avenged! We must arm all civilians with guns and weapons, so that they can protect themselves and others around them.

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