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thought mashups from garret shelsta

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Bellingham, Wa

Day 21: Weep with those that weep.

March 21, 2017  /  Garret Shelsta

 [If you want to know how and why this devotional came into existence feel free to read this]

What you will need:

(Here is the week 1, week 2 and week 3 sheets if you want them)

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​Theme: Break the Bond of Injustice

Passage for March 21st 2017: John 11:17-44

Bars from “Summer Friends”

Summer friends don't stay
Summer friends don't stay, stay around
Summer friends, summer friends
Summer friends don't stay
Summer friends don't stay, hey
Stay around here

 

A Thought:

The first time I listened to “Summer Friends” with head phones on, I noticed the song skips around your head. It was almost like a thought or a feeling swirling around my mind. It felt like something sad and surreal flittering about my mind, but it didn't want land because if it did somehow it would make it real. I can only imagine this is how it feels for some Chicago neighborhoods during summers when shooting deaths rise significantly. As I realized that this phenomena was what "summer friends" was about, the shooting deaths in Chicago moved from being and abstraction to a concrete reality. The song invites us into a person’s mourning process and opens us up to experience the effects of the very complicated issues of violence in Chicago. Chance invites us to “weep with those that weep”

Often times as I talk with my faith community about injustice issues occurring in the city there is a fairly common response, “What can I do?” I think John 11 gives a pretty direct answer. If our heart breaks with those who are hurting our heart is becoming aligned with Christ’s heart and we put our selves in a posture to become more like Him.  When faced with injustice Christians are too often motivated by guilt. When the guilt dissipates so does our motivation to work for change. But as we sit and weep with those that weep, we begin a friendship with the one affected. And like a good friend we long to undo that which harmed the person we care about. We develop an empathy with our hurting brothers and sisters. 

Social change and movements sustained by the Christ like empathy of John 11. This empathy can give us hearts that are longing for healing and wholeness in the world at such a foundational level that we are willing to lay our life down to see it happen in the world.

Here are the questions I am thinking about today: What are the issues of injustice happening in my local community causing people to weep? What does it mean for you to weep with those to weep?

Mediation: Psalm  94:14-18

As you read the passage today what phrase sticks out? Focus on it, and as you color this week ask the Lord to make you uncomfortable this week. Ask God to take what about some familiar and safe things in your life. When you feel like he has a revealed a few … ask the lord to shake those up.

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