I think there is value in pointing out injustice.
It can be very helpful to expose what others are missing, to advocate for those who are often left alone.
One story that I was asked to preach early on in my preaching life was the one about the time that church folk brought to Jesus a woman they had caught in the act of adultery.
That story has become famous and has several interesting elements to it. This morning I’m thinking of Jesus’ restraint. He doesn’t accuse…anyone really. Not the pharisees or the woman. And, yet it seems like he was able to get the point across to both parties.
So much to learn.
I think the way to navigate tricky situations like that is to have some kind of crazy homing beacon on the absolute Main Thing. In the midst of mounting pressure, socially, religiously, morally Jesus was not distracted from doing the thing that he cared about the absolute most. What do we care about the absolute most. How do we set aside winning points, rivalry in rightness, power in public prestige, the satisfaction of loud righteous indignation and zero in on the one main thing.
For Jesus, it must have been communicating love to that woman.
What’s yours?
terazzo, coffee, and kids 