Pray for peace... act for peace

Along with being sick and tired of Christmas... I have been sick and tired of churches for awhile now.

Yesterday, the Columbus Mennonite church though really helped to snap me back into a more loving and peaceful mindset when it comes to churches. The last church service I went to, at a church I won't name, we heard about the mysteries of santa and the mystery of Christmas... keeping Jesus at the center of Christmas. Typical sermon, unfortunately, for this time of year. Hearing that message just added to my current annoyance of the american church who ignores the problems of the city and the world around them.

Well then yesterday... I heard the best message from the alter that I have ever heard in any church anywhere. They spoke of the mass slaughter in Gaza... the women telling of the hellish acts was in tears over it, confessing to the body that she has had violent thoughts towards those doing the slaughtering, tearfully asking us to pray the lords prayer with her, then had us meet her in the lobby to sign a petition begging for this mass murder to be stopped. They also spoke of the Matthew 25 way of meeting Jesus. A man spoke of meeting Jesus last week through a little boy with his shoes on the wrong feet from the west side of the city. Then again meeting Jesus through a little girl overseas affected with AIDS.

It really got me thinking... and comparing the last two messages I heard from two very different churches. I was sick to my stomach at the thought that a majority of churches in this country are speaking of the mysteries of santa from the pulpit and a minority of churches are speaking of the shit that really matters.

What matters is that there is unrest and violence all around us. Hundreds losing their lives in a mass slaughter in Gaza. Children being murdered by our government in Iraq. Innocent men being accused of being terrorists and in result being tortured to the point of insanity or even worse, death. My own friends in this very city sleeping outside in the freezing cold, being ignored by most of the city.

What doesn't matter is the mystery of santa... the mystery of Christmas... or building your church bigger.

Harsh, maybe. But seriously? Stop ignoring the horror of this world going on all around us. If you go to church every week and don't hear about what issues are currently ruining the city or the world you live in and what you can be doing to make a difference beyond writing a check then you should ask yourself what you are doing.

These two hands can only do so much.
"This is a disaster.... where the fuck are the rescue workers?"