the kingdom of heaven is like .. WHAT!

We usually hear the Luke version of the great banquet, less violence, but this week we are thinking about Matthew’s version.

during Lent I am trying to view these parables, which start ‘the kingdom of heaven is like…’ through the lens of the Lord’s Prayer, where we pray each week ‘your kingdom come’

what kind of kingdom are we reading about this morning??

 

The traditional way to look at this reading is that God is the king, the messengers are the prophets, the people who are initially invited are Jews and the people who eventually come are the gentiles. and the one thrown out for not wearing the correct robe? , that refers to the need to always be clothed in righteous.

 

I can see how people read the parable this way, but I struggle with this explanation.

 

a little background first.

Chapter 21 Matthew records the entry into Jerusalem, that we celebrate on Palm Sunday, then the cleansing of the Temple.  after that Jesus is really popular with the religious and political leaders J

then the story of the cursing of the fig tree, the religious leaders question Jesus, and Jesus doesn’t answer, but asks them a question.

then we get to three parables:

parable of the two sons – one said he wouldn’t work, but did; the other said he would work but didn’t.

the parable of the wicked tenants – where the landowner sends servants to collect his share of the produce, but the tenants killed them, so he sent his son, and they killed him as well.

verse 45-46

‘when the chief priests heard his parables, they realised that he was speaking about them. they wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.’

 

then this parable – the wedding banquet – and the next verse is

“then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said”

 

so while the disciples, or some of them, are likely present, Jesus is speaking to the religious leaders of the time.

 

what about the wedding banquet, it seems that weddings were different to the way we celebrate here in Australia, though there are many ways to celebrate even in Australia.  The couple would do the legal stuff, then the wedding festivities would happen when the bride moved from her family home to the grooms family home. Also, considering that people didn’t have iPads or pocket diaries, when the banquet was ready, you sent out word.

and the invite list:

as with diplomatic and business dinners today, you invite people who can do something for you. The people invited to the wedding of a prince, would be  people who were then beholden to the King, to be an ally of the King if the need arose, and they would definitely not set out to overthrow the king.

 

How might all this help us in looking at this parable.

 

here is a  poem by Bruce Prewer

Wedding Feast

(based on Matthew 22: 1-14)

 

He is off

the planet again!

This Jesus

who tells folk stories

which upend

normality and our

credulity suspend!

 

Where on earth

is royalty ignored?

Since

when does the guest

stay away

from the wedding feast

of a prince?

 

Where’s any king

who would open his table

to the street?

To garbage collectors,

back packers, buskers,

homeless kids

and the dead beat?

 

One thing’s sure:

Christ’s quirky kingdom

cannot be

of this world’s making.

Here kings swank

and royal halls are crammed

with pomposity.

                                                                                                                                                           

— Copyright © B.D. Prewer 1995, and posted on Bruce Prewer’s Homepage. 

 

the whole premise of the parable is ridiculous, who turns down an invitation from the King, let alone kills the messengers?  which King is going to pause meal preparations to go to war against their own people?

 

As I have been pondering, and struggling with this story, an email arrived yesterday with a short story from Andrew Dutney, the President of the UCA.  He was at a National Council of Churches Leaders meeting, and  Archbishop Zaia, Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand and Lebanon was asked to speak briefly about the situation of his people in the Assyrian Church of the East.

 

These people live with violence, some have been killed, others raped and tortured, and many have fled from Iraq to Syria as refugees. [i]

And I wondered what difference it would make to how we hear this parable if we lived with constant violence and oppression?

 

I wonder what happens if we consider that the king is not God, but Caesar, and we hear what happens when a city descends into violence.  I wonder if this is part of the reaction of Matthew to the destruction of the Temple in AD 70. Most scholars have the Gospel of Matthew being written down after that time.

 

What if this is saying to us – when you try to live the kingdom of heaven into being, you will be subject to persecution and violence; because Caesar doesn’t want a Kingdom of peace, and forgiveness and justice.   That would take all the power from Caesar.

 

what if this is like a political comedy on TV, something like Clarke and Dawes or Frontline?  What if this is  about the violence that lies just below the surface of societies with strong notions of honour and shame.

 

 

What have we heard so far this Lent about the Kingdom of God?

we started with the parable of the servant who was forgiven much, but who then did not forgive the person who owed him money.

‘the Kingdom of God is a Kingdom of forgiveness.’

 

Then last Sunday we heard the parable of the workers in the vineyard, where each was paid what was needed to sustain their family for the day.

“The Kingdom of heaven, is a kingdom of justice, a kingdom of need being met, not because we deserve it, not because we earned it, but because God is generous, and gracious and knows our need.”

 

God forgives us, is generous with us, and provides for the needs of all people, but to be part of God’s kingdom we need to also be generous, share resources and offer forgiveness.

 

then this passage?

 

what might we take away from this passage, this strange parable?

 

This kingdom that we pray for ask for our total allegiance, for all we are, and that may lead to conflict with others in society and even our own families.  But violence is not part of the Kingdom.

See what happened to Jesus when he lived in ways that upset the religious and political leaders – violence was done to him, he did not initiate violence against others or to defend himself.

 

We pray and we work for the coming of the Kingdom of heaven, a kingdom of peace, justice, and generosity; and some people will fight against such a kingdom coming into being.

  

ideas taken from

http://www.preachingpeace.org/lectionaries/34-year-a/164-yeara-proper23.html

http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2389#post_comments

 

---

[i] https://andrewfdutney.wordpress.com/2015/03/06/what-happened-on-thursday-morning/

It Isn't Fair

Proclamation of the Word

The kingdom of heaven is like a wealthy landowner .. you have all heard this parable before, and I am guessing that you all have questions about it, because it just isn’t fair.

it isn’t fair that some people worked longer hours and got paid the same.

it isn’t fair!

so how can the Kingdom of heaven be like this, if it isn’t fair??

In the time of Jesus, there were people who relied on getting casual work each day to be able to feed and support their families. they turned up at the town square each morning nice and early, in the hope of getting work for the day.

We hear from those who worked all day, they got the silver coin that was the payment for a casual worker for the day., and they complained when they saw what the others were getting.

But what of those who waited in the town square all day?  how might they have been feeling? think about it, you arrive early in the morning, and no one picks you; you may be a little older, or you may have an injury – and so you wait, wondering what will I feed my family today, and what if no one picks me again tomorrow, how will I look after my family?

then late in the day, close to the end of the work day, you and some others are still standing there, wondering how to feed your family, when someone offers you an hour’s work. you jump at the opportunity, it won’t pay much, but anything is better than nothing, and maybe he will hire me for longer tomorrow.

And then you get paid what you need to feed your family – how would you feel?

  

In the Lord’s prayer we pray for God kingdom to come, and we ask for daily bread. not daily truffles and caviar and champagne, but daily bread. enough food for the day, not luxuries or enough to store up for later.

this passage reminds me of the manna in the desert, each had enough for the day.

the kingdom of heaven is one in which all people are valued, and all receive what they need, not necessarily what they deserve or what we earn.

We don’t earn God’s grace, or forgiveness or love; nor do we deserve God’s grace or forgiveness or love.  But God offers each one of us grace and forgiveness and love, and much more besides.

When we pray, Your Kingdom Come, is it merely words or are we doing something to make the world a place of dignity for more people, even if it means we pay more for our clothes or food, so that those who produce our food can get paid adequately – that is why the church supports fair trade products.  

There is an image on the screen of a father talking to his daughter, and he tells her : that you only look in your neighbours bowl to see if they have sufficient, not see if they have more than you.

“Only look in your neighbours bowl to see if they have sufficient, not see if they have more than you.”

How often do we feel dissatisfied, not with what we have, but because it is less than what someone else has. how often do we compare our houses, cars, clothes, pay packets, church attendance, number of friends… ?

How often do we feel upset because we have been working for the church for many years, and then someone new comes in and gets the benefit?

How often do we wonder about people who make a deathbed commitment to follow Jesus, when we have walked the narrow road for many years?

The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner, who hires and pays people according to their need.

The Kingdom of heaven, is a kingdom of justice, a kingdom of need being met, not because we deserve it, not because we earned it, but because God is generous, and gracious and knows our need.

Reflection [from spill the beans]

Those who have been here forever

....

.. we now take some time to reflect ..

Your Kingdom Come: Forgiveness

each week we pray the Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father in Heaven,

Hallowed be your name.

Your Kingdom come,

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

 

Your Kingdom come

 

This is the theme I am working through this Lent,

Your Kingdom come

 

As we read some of  the Parables of Jesus recorded by Matthew. and they are Kingdom parables.

they start ‘the kingdom of heaven is like..’

I wonder what it means for us to pray  Your Kingdom come

 

 

Now the first part of today’s reading is not part of the parable, but leads into the parable.  the disciples are asking about forgiveness, and Jesus does some teaching, and then tells a story – nothing new in that approach, we see it often from Jesus.

 

the teaching part is often referred to in matters of church discipline as a good model, if some sins against you, hurts you go and speak with them, if they don’t listen take a few others with you, etc.

it means no gossiping, no sorting people out as to whose side people are on. it also means trying to maintain a good relationship with the person who hurt you – now that is hard, and I am not sure it is always good news:)

and the bit about treating people as tax collector, look up how Jesus treats Tax collectors! and a hint – he doesn’t push them away or shun them!

 

moving now to the parable.

the kingdom of heaven is like a king …

a king who forgives a debt, a big debt, a debt so big the servant could never have paid it back. various people have tried calculating how much the debt was, in the translation we heard this morning in it ten thousand bags of God, other translations have ten thousand talents. it equates to 150 - 200,000 years of wages for a labourer. I wonder how the person was allowed to get into that kind of debt.

the king was merciful.

 

and we think what a lovely story.

we have sinned against God and God is merciful and forgives us.

well that is true,

but I think this story has a lot more happening in it.

 

we could look at the economic system that allows a person to get into such a  huge debt in the first place – a debt that they are never going to be able to repay.

 

but let’s stay with the forgiveness theme today.

 

the first servant is forgiven a ridiculously big debt.

then he refuses to forgive  a much smaller debt.

and he is thrown in prison.

 

in the Kingdom of Heaven, forgiveness is received and given.

 

earlier this week  at the Ash Wednesday service people had the opportunity to write down a hurt,  a burden, something they needed to be forgiven for, or something they needed to forgive; then we burnt the pieces of paper.

Some people commented that they wished it was so easy.

 

often forgiveness is not easy,

but:

 

forgiveness does not ask you to forget what happened

forgiveness does not ask that you stay in an abusive situation

forgiveness does not ask you to pretend it never happened

 

forgiveness means not letting the hurt dominate your life

forgiveness means letting go of the desire for revenge

forgiveness means  freedom for you to be yourself

 

when we hurt someone, we need to ask for forgiveness, but we also need to take responsibility for what we have done.

 

my experience is that some people don’t forgive – they hold onto hurts, they let the pain envelop their lives, and they become bitter.

 

the other pattern I have noticed is that some people won’t accept forgiveness.

each week, we pray a prayer of confession, and the forgiveness we have through Christ is announced. but I know some of you struggle with the idea that God does actually forgive your sins. so each week I will continue to declare to you, that God forgives our sins.

 

in the Lord’s prayer we pray  ‘ your Kingdom Come’ .

What does this parable tell us about the Kingdom of Heaven?

 

it is like another line on the Lord’s Prayer:

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

 

this parable is a warning of what happens when we don’t forgive others.

when we hold onto hurts,

when we hold onto judgement,

when we hold onto the desire for revenge,

we are not free to live in the forgiveness God offers us

when we don’t forgive others, they can be hurt by that, but so are we.

 

The person who holds onto the anger and resentment, is not at peace.

 

God offers mercy and grace, but we are expected to do the same.

 

the Kingdom of God is a Kingdom of forgiveness.

 

do we really want to pray : your kingdom come?

Excluding Those Who God Includes

this sermon was written for, and preached, as part of the requirements of a preaching subject in my M. Div program.

Excluding Those Who God Includes

Text: Matthew 18: 15-20 focussing on verses 15-17.

 

Let us pray:

God who is revealed to us in Love, may we be open to your surprising presence, and transformed to live and love knowing that we are created for relationship with you and each other. Amen.

 

When someone hurts me with what they say or do, I want to get even.

When someone has hurt me and doesn’t listen to my pain, I get angry and sad, and I want them to hurt.

When people don’t play by the rules, I want to cut them out of my life.

 

In the reading from Matthew today, Jesus is recorded as saying, if someone hurts you, then go and speak with them and if after speaking with the person they haven’t listened to you, then take some witnesses along. If after discussing it with the person in front of the witnesses they still don’t listen, then raise the issue with the church and if the person still doesn’t listen, then treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

 

All of this suggests to me that dealing with the pain that I am feeling isn’t about my pain. Dealing with the hurt is about relating with the person who caused the pain; going and speaking with the person I least want to talk with. I prefer to avoid conflict.  I’ve been in arguments a couple of times in my life. One argument I can remember happened at a meeting, there were four of us present, and I knew them all well; elders executive, our main task was planning the agenda for the meeting the following week, but at times we also looked at what might be some suggestions for how to deal with some of the issues arising in the meeting. Something was coming up on the agenda and one of the Ministers and I disagreed. Now normally I would have relented, avoided the conflict and gone with the Minister’s suggestion; but not this evening. And even though it wasn’t an important issue for either of us; neither of us would back down. Shortly afterwards the meeting finished and I had to rush home and have dinner; people would be arriving at my place in less than an hour for Bible Study.

 

Before I got in the door one of the other people from the meeting was on the phone to make sure I was OK, and before dinner was over so was the other person and the Minister. The Minister and I agreed to meet the next day. I took cake; the minister made coffee and we are both still friends. For both of us, fortunately the relationship was more important than the issue.

 

It wasn’t about who won or lost the argument, but about a continuing relationship. And this is what the first part of the reading is about. Don’t run and hide, don’t gossip and try to get a group of supporters as much as that is what you feel like doing.  Talk to the person, and often it will be much more difficult than the example I have just related.

 

In looking at this reading as I prepared for today, the part of the passage that most intrigues me, is in verse 17, if the person doesn’t listen to you, and doesn’t listen to the church then treat them as a tax collector or a pagan.

 

Now Matthew is the most Jewish of the gospels, and thinking what this might mean for them, and reading a few commentaries, it would seem that at least here Matthew’s Jesus and I agree. If someone won’t listen to the church, then shun them; remove them from your life.  At least sometimes Jesus agrees with me.

 

Just to be sure, I looked at how Matthew speaks of tax collectors in other parts of the gospel. Uh-oh! I’m in trouble again. When I look at other references to tax-collector in Matthew, they don’t talk of shunning, or avoiding. Jesus called a tax collector to be one of the disciples, and Jesus ate with tax collectors. That was one of the things that got up the nose of the Pharisees; Jesus ate with the wrong people and Jesus visited the homes of the wrong people.

 

In the first part of the reading, if someone wrongs you, then try and maintain or build on the relationship. The process is in the interest of the one we call the guilty party, the perpetrator.  Then traditionally the final part of the process is interpreted as to remove people from the fellowship of the church. Which when I think about it makes perfect sense and also doesn’t make sense. It makes sense to me because if someone is causing problems in the church and won’t admit it, then the church is probably better off without them. My experience in the church tells me that it makes sense. But it doesn’t make sense in the light of the gospel.

 

Here Matthew is talking of doing everything possible to maintain relationship with the person who has done wrong. Even treating them like a tax collector.

 

The tax collector bit is treated very differently by different commentators. That’s why I went back to Matthew’s gospel, try and see how Matthew has Jesus talking about tax collectors. And Jesus doesn’t talk about them much, and when he does he tells the religious folk that the tax collectors will be in heaven ahead of the religious people.

 

While Jesus doesn’t talk about them much, he does spend time with them, and he eats with them.  I don’t know about you, but I find it difficult to eat with someone when I am angry with them, my tummy turns somersaults and I don’t breathe well. To eat with someone would mean that I have to let go of my anger, to recognise the humanity and dignity of the other person and not let my feelings get in the way of the meal and the conversation.

 

Now I don’t know about you, but I find this hugely challenging. And as I have been thinking about this this week, the following story from the news a few weeks ago kept coming into my mind. It was about the response of some people on the North Coast to a convicted paedophile, on parole, moving into the community to live with his family. I can understand their concern for their children, and I wonder what we can do to help make safe places for children; to be a safe community for all people. But I also wonder what do we do with people who terrify us; people we don’t like; people we consider dangerous to us or our community.

 

 I don’t have any easy answers.

 

Even within the church, I wonder what difference it would make to the debate on leadership and sexuality, if we ate together rather than debating each other.

 

As I said at the beginning, I’m quite happy to avoid those who hurt me, and to have those who don’t follow the rules or are disruptive thrown out of the church. But as much as for a moment there was the possibility that this text was saying that, and there are scholars who appear to go in that direction, reading the text I can’t agree with that. Here I sense a challenge from God, to do that which is subversive, to include those who hurt you.

 

Now I suspect you are wondering where the good news is in all this. Maintaining a relationship with a person who has hurt you, and won’t admit it, hardly seems like good news to me. Doesn’t sound like liberation or life sustaining way to live. But if I am honest, as often as someone hurts me, I have hurt other people, by what I have said or the way I have behaved.

 

So maybe the good news is that I am constantly being included; that this is a challenge to the church to hold onto people like me, a sinner. Because as much as there are people I find difficult to live with in the church, there will be people who would want me out. When we look at making rules that define the boundaries of God’s grace, this passage challenges me to think about which side of the boundary I might end up on. 

 

Love not revenge, patience rather than anger, inclusion not exclusion. May we all live up to the challenge to live as God’s people – forgiven and forgiving, living in relationship with God and each other. Amen

the Lord's Prayer

What is prayer?

sometimes it is saying good morning to God as you wake up, sometimes it is pouring out your heart to God in the midst of pain and frustration,

sometimes it is sharing the joy of being alive.

In the time of Jesus, there were some set prayers, just as we have some standard prayers today. I am guessing some of you learnt ‘now lay me down to sleep…’ when you were younger. some of you will have a standard grace you say before meals. Some Christian groups have particular prayers they say together.

Prayer was something that Jewish people were familiar with.

Jewish teachers, like Jesus, often taught their disciples to pray.
Here Jesus isn't teaching a prayer, but how to pray.
Notice Jesus starts with 'when you pray' not ' if you pray' . it is assumed that people will pray, that it is a concept they are familiar with.

 

a few things to notice,

it is OUR father, not MY father.

also prayer is about relationship with God and all of God’s creation, it isn’t about being seen to be praying J
and the pattern:

 When you pray

   Start with God
    Align yourself with Gods plan
     Our basic physical needs
    Our need for forgiveness and grace
  Our need for God’s guidance so we don't go off track
And then end with recognising that God is God.

Skit**  Lord’s Prayer – two voices

Prayer is aligning our life to God, not dragging God into our whirlpool of busyness, stress, desires etc.

Prayer is putting ourselves into Gods space, and seeking to let God, and Gods will for us, to grow more in our lives.

Prayer is acknowledging the brokenness and beauty of all of God’s creation, and seeking our place in abundant living for all.

“  ..  in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus directs our concern to God, ourselves, and our neighbour, and for the strength to care for all three. It’s that simple. That profound. That important. And so worth slowing down and considering what we’re actually praying for.” [David Lose: In the Meantime  Posted: 17 Feb 2014]

** the Skit is based on one from the book, "If God Talked Out Loud" by Clyde Lee Heering, 1977

Questions and no answers

Matthew 2: 1-12 : the questing, seeking ones

 

Matthew’s story of the birth of Jesus has him being born at home in Bethlehem, no mention of a stable, or a census, or a journey, or shepherds. In Matthew’s version the magi are the first people to worship the Christ child.

Luke includes the story of the shepherds – who were a lower status group in the society, as the first to visit and worship the baby Jesus. Matthew has non-Jews as the first to come and worship. The gospel of Matthew starts with the genealogy and finishes with the Great Commission :  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age [Matthew 28: 19 -20]

Towards the end of chapter 1 Matthew quotes from Isaiah, saying the name of the child will be Immanuel which means God is with us (Matthew 1:23). ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,     and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’

While Matthew is the most Jewish of the gospels, and written for a Jewish audience, it also starts and finishes with a core of inclusivity of all people. Also from the beginning to the end there is this awareness of a God who is always present, always with us. it is like a bookend of God being present and the good news being for all people.

While Matthew quotes extensively from Scripture, which in this case is the old testament, God continues to be involved with the least, with those excluded from society. While it was to be expected that a new King for the Jews would be born in Jerusalem the capital, amongst the rich and the powerful; God's reign shows up and it is the non-Jews who recognise it.

 

The ones from the east came seeking, looking for something new. Most of us don't have the resources to commit to following a quest like the magi did. When we look at the sky at night we might feel insignificant, we might feel a sense of amazement, for some it will be a time of feeling connected to a larger universe; but rarely will it lead us on a great journey.

 

Even though we may not go on this physical quest, many of us will have been on a spiritual quest. A time of seeking something beyond ourselves, a time of being intentional in our desire to be closer to God, or to hear God's call on our life. And at times when we go seeking something, it is the reassurance of the known rather than the new, the unfamiliar that we are looking for.

 

The people who were seeking the new child, the one born to be the King of the Jews, were not Jews. We are told only that they come from the East, the East is where the powerful nations that have conquered Israel and Judah have come from. The ones coming from the east come and ask a question. Now we can think about what a silly question that was - why ask the current king where the new king has been born. These non-Jews came seeking and asking.

While Herod knew nothing of the birth of a new King, his advisers knew the answer to where this child was to be born. Having the answer is not part of the search. The search, the seeking, the quest requires us to ask a question.

 

what is it that motivates us to grow, to search for something different?

 

What might that question be for us today?

 

What role does Jesus play in my life each day?

What is God calling me to do?

Who is God calling me to love?

Where do we see God active in the community and the world around us?

Where is God guiding me to be more involved?

 

You may have a different question that you're being called to consider, knowing the answer is not what challenges us to grow in our faith.

We grow in faith when we ask and embrace the questions of life.

Matthew 2: 13-23  the light has come into the world..

For many people this seems like a strange reading to have as part of the Christmas season. During the Christmas season we like to think of hope, peace, joy and love. We like to think of fun times with family and friends, parties, presents, and lazy summer days [in Australia]. During the four weeks of advent we have looked forward to the birth of Jesus, and looking for signs of his kingdom coming to fruition in our world.

Unfortunately, there are still Herods in our world; people who live by fear, people who use their power to oppress, people who do not value the life of every person.

Jesus is the light of the world, something that we remember at the beginning of each worship service when we light the Christ candle. In a few days it will be the feast of Epiphany, the end of the 12 days of Christmas, the day when we celebrate the life of Christ as a light for the world. Yet here in the midst of the hope of Christmas, the hope and potential of new life, we see that evil still persists.

 

The killing of the children is a reminder of the children who are killed in our world today. Physically killed by violence and poverty, spiritually and emotionally killed by degradation, slavery, and cruelty.

We expect to be safe in our homes, but for many people home is not a safe place. For people in parts of Africa home is not safe because poor sanitation leads to illness and death. In parts of  the middle east and parts of Africa home is not safe because of warfare. In parts of Asia home is not safe because of child trafficking. And in Australia home is not safe because of domestic violence.

 What can we do?

What can we do? It is such a huge issue, and there are no easy answers.

 

It's easy to think that cruelty and oppression are caused by bad people, and that we are good.

“If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”
― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956

the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being

The light has come into the world, and the darkness has not put it out.

We live in the time between Christ's coming in the fulfilment, the completion of the kingdom of God.

Why was Jesus saved as a child, when so many others were killed.

It's the question that mothers and fathers ask when a child is diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Why is life so unfair?

There are no easy at this is to these questions.

What can we do?

What can we do about oppression, cruelty, child trafficking, slavery?

Maybe we start by recognising when our words and actions oppress others.

Maybe we start by recognising the inherent dignity of each person that we meet.

Maybe we start by sitting with those who grieve, with those who are in pain, not to answer their questions, but to share God's presence with them.