The wise and teaching Jesus proclaimed an egalitarian ethic of loving and serving others, even our enemies, as ourselves. The compassionate and practicing Jesus worked and advocated for equality, justice, and mercy for the despised, poor, sinful, and oppressed. The judicious and brave Jesus decried the hypocrisy and illuminated the spiritual perils of the wealthy, powerful, haughty, judgemental, and privileged. The betrayed and arrested Jesus commanded the nonviolent laying down of swords and the restoration of severed ears to hear. The tortured and dying Jesus exhibited forgiveness to those who persecuted him. The resurrected and empowered Jesus encouraged and gave the gift of peace to all who would follow his example and go forth to revolutionize relationships with all humanity and creation.

Can we not see that he valued not only welcoming but caring for all others regardless of religious, national, racial, economic, social, or sexual identity differences? Do we not understand that he asked us all to look out for “the least of these” in this world by renouncing greed, favor, control, and influence until we all are treated with the same respect, dignity, and kindness? Are we not also willing to speak truth to power and put our bodies at risk in order to establish a more communitarian and equitable society which he lived and died to create? Will we ever be willing to cast aside our fears and our comforts and security to renounce violence, militarism, personal weaponry, punishment, and retribution no matter what the cost, as he did? Are we able to eschew vengeance and hatred to forgive as he forgave? What will it take for us to claim the gift of peace that requires us to be peaceful in all of our relationships, seeking never to advantage ourselves over others but seeing their welfare as inextricably linked to our own?

How can we be people of the resurrection unless we are willing to live by the values of resurrected life? Resurrection is transformation and metamorphosis. Are we willing to let go of our caterpillar ways to become the beautiful butterflies we are called by the sacred within us to be?

— Rev. Bret S. Myers, 3/27/2018