Hi everyone,

So one of our kids had a problem with bullies. It didn’t get to the point that we were concerned for their safety or anything, but let’s just say some words were said that didn’t sit well with us. Some tears were shed. And certain relationships still aren’t fully repaired.

And while I really hated to see them go through this, after going through the initial anger around it, I kept asking myself, “why would they be like this?” Then in this question and my personal quest to understand and help our kid understand, I found that the bully had (and continues to have) a pretty tough life. Broken family, no real parental guidance, and an older sibling who was “different” in their own right. I know, it sounds kind of like the typical life of a bully, but to me, it made it all more sad.

As it was for our kid as well. As they understood more and more why this other kid was the they way they were, our kid started to treat them differently. Not with contempt or distaste, but with compassion and sympathy. And while their relationship with the bully isn’t (and I don’t think it can be) fully repaired, I think that understanding goes a long way in informing our kid how to deal with, how to relate, and how to empathize with the bully.

And really, I think that is all I can ask.

Here are the readings for next week:
Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32
Psalm 25:1-9
Philippians 2:1-13
Matthew 21:23-32
and a video of them being read:

“By whose authority?” sounds more like a threat than a real “get to know you” question. This is what the religious leaders ask Jesus after he rocked their world with radical teaching, actions, and turning over the tables in the temple. They wanted to know where he got his nerve to be so different, the gall to go so against the grain, the authority to undermine their own.

But I can kind of understand why they would ask this. From their perspective, Jesus was just being a rabble rouser who was rousing some rabble. They didn’t see the compassion that Jesus was operating from. They didn’t see the grace that informed Jesus’ actions. They didn’t see the love that Jesus has for all people that moves him to do what he does.

Which is a shame, because if they did, maybe they would have been changed as well. If they saw that Jesus wasn’t coming from a place of maliciousness or disrespect, then maybe they could have come on board. If they understood that Jesus was acting under God’s authority of mercy and compassion, then maybe they could have helped to make the world a better place.

May we allow God’s authority of love and grace fill our lives with compassion and peace, that we might move and act for the good and reconciliation of all.

Thanks be to God! Have a great week, everyone!