November 20, 2022
Gospel – 5/31/20 -John 20:19-23
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Sometimes we are so fearful of what the World will do or say about us, we lock ourselves away – hiding from our responsibility to make the world a better place.
Case in point, what’s happening in the world right now. People are being hurt or killed by those “everyone” should be able to turn to to find safety. That is wrong.
Then when good people come out to protest what’s happening, evil people (antifa) takes over their peaceful protests to sew anarchy – obscuring the message.
Jesus is coming to our “locked rooms” today.
The vast majority of people see the evil that inhabits some – not all – of those in authority and demand change.
The messengers – peaceful protesters – are rejecting the destructive “antifa” elements and saying “Leave our message to us.”
And we are seeing a reaching out from good to good and a rejection of evil.
Jesus will show up out of nowhere and he will bring us together – the good to the good.
We need to overcome the evil – bring it to light – whether it is inhabiting “supposed” protectors or “supposed” supporters.
Breathe. Breathe in the Holy Spirit and unite the good – don’t hide from the evil in a safe “upper room.”
Let the Holy Spirit teach us.
At least that’s what I heard Him say…
What I Heard Him Say 