Today’s scripture: John 15:18-25 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Lynnette Pullen):
Our family has been remarkably busy with all the back to school stuff: school shopping, going to parent night, registration, and all the rest.
At one of those lovely back to school nights, my kid leans over in the car and says, “Now, you guys play it cool, ok?” I giggled thinking “Do I act like a dork in public or something?” So out of curiosity and half joking, I casually asked, “Why?” He says, “I don’t want people to know you guys are together.”
It was a sobering response. The car instantly grew quiet. My daughter looked at me pensively, watching my response. My partner’s eyes swelled with tears. My son suddenly seemed to grasp the gravity of what was said, and quickly followed up with “I just don’t want to be embarrassed.” He awkwardly tried to explain that kids will tease him and that while he loves his family, lots of other people don’t.
Honestly, I understood what he meant. I have pretended not to be partners in public just so we could have a quiet dinner in peace, or shop without the stares. So, how could I be angry at my child for doing the very thing I had done? Somehow though, that thought doubled the pain.
Hate is a funny thing. Sometimes it’s overt and in your face, like terrorists or the Ku Klux Klan. Sometimes it’s more covert and almost invisible, like office gossip or glass ceilings. Either way is painful and devastating.
I heard a wise person say once that “We are carefully taught to hate one another.” I believe that means that hate is often taught in intricate, subtle ways, over a long period of time. So much so that by the time it has taken root in one’s mind, it becomes a belief that is no longer questioned. We began to believe somehow that to hate is righteous! I think Yoda said it best when he said “Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering.”
In my short time on this planet, I have experienced more hate than I care to reflect upon. It often leaves me feeling rejected, unwanted, invalidated, and at times like a nomad. And let’s be honest, I’ve hated more people than I care to acknowledge too! As I continue to grow on my journey with Christ, little by little my eyes are opened and I see things so differently. When I read our verses for today, I hear God telling me two things:
- You will be hated because you belong to me — so expect it.
- The ones I loved hated me too. I feel your pain and I understand.
Prayer for today: Thank you Christ, for suffering for me. I have never been in need of something so badly that I was so unworthy to receive. Thank you for giving me a home in your heart where I will forever be loved, valued, accepted, and acknowledged. Thank you for understanding my pain and comforting me when I cry. Give me strength to be all you created me to be despite the judgment, criticism, and prejudice. Help me to be a better example to my children of how to stand firm in the face of hate. Help me to love like you.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.