A Design for Needlepointing

The best portion of a good man’s life is his little nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.

 (William Wordsworth)

The nation is still reeling from the senseless killings at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  The massacre will continue to disturb us and trouble us collectively and individually.  Universally, in a ten-minute span of time innocence was destroyed, personal security has been threatened, and esteemed institutions were violated. We have been changed forever.

Since that tragic morning arguments from various sides of the Second Amendments have arisen.  I’m not really sure how I feel about it and this will not be the forum to influence me.  Meanwhile, there are also numerous discussions about mental illness.  There are horrible generalities linking the autism spectrum with sociopathic behavior.  That is just uncivil. Sociopathic behavior is witnessed in all sectors of the population.  Primary teachers see such behavior in early grades and know where it will lead but are they are helpless in redirecting that behavior.

Pastorally speaking, the core concern at hand is that evil exists in the world.  Despite how rosy some folks will try to make it look, this is a broken humanity.  Thinking we are isolated individuals is denial.  We are part of a creation that was broken by Sin.  (Note that “Sin” is a power and “sins” are the stinkin' behaviors that are the result of the power of Sin.)

So, we coexist with evil in this world. What are we going to do about it?  Here’s the point:  we overcome evil with good.  Sure, that sounds simplistic but evil is a fundamental problem that is dealt with fundamental responses.   The light must shine in the darkness.  People of faith may have to take leadership in this.  We fill those broken moments of history with actions of peace and reconciliation.  We replace  words of negativity with words that are positive and encouraging.  We model a lifestyle of redemption and grace.

The Prophet Micah recalls the questions of the people of what the Lord requires:  burnt offerings, animal offerings, oil offerings, even human offerings?   Nope. Micah replies, “God told you, o mortal, what the Lord requires of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God”  (Micah 6:8)

The Interim Geezer now tells you to needlepoint that and hang it above your bathroom mirror.