Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Like the Psalmist, Paul discovered that gratefulness is the path of revolutionary joy. Beauty, feasting, and giving thanks subvert the power of enemies — and restore those oppressed by persecution, suffering, and even death to the fullness of faith, hope, and love.
Ultimately, all of today’s lectionary readings are about enemies. The two readings I skipped I can now reread. There aren’t two gods — one of vengeance and one of tenderness. But the One God of Israel and of Jesus Christ is, in both testaments, the God of loving provision and protection, whose very presence in the face of violence calls forth gratitude. The texts of terror need to be read in that light — the evils of death and destruction, the enemies of all humankind, can occasion the most powerful poetry of our souls. We can rise to goodness and mercy even in the worst of circumstances.
If there is vengeance to be had, let us leave that to the mystery of God. In the meanwhile, let’s stick with what we know: God is love. God is with us. God provides. God sets a table in the wilderness. The good gifts of life still surround us all, even when evil seems poised to win.
Think about these things. Give thanks.
Diane Butler Bass
The Cottage
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