“How do we respond…” — Gospel and Sermon for Sunday, May 29, 2022

Here is the manuscript for today’s sermon:

A plague killed somewhere between 5–40% of the population. Imagine what that does to a society.

The Peasant’s Rebellion and the long-standing wars throughout the continent on a constant basis that ripped young men from families, caused death and great destruction throughout the land. Imagine what that does to people and families.

Everyday life was shrouded in what scholars called a culture of violence in which violence was a normal part of everyday life. Many people personally knew someone who had been murdered. Imagine how exhausting and hopeless that must feel.

Corruption within the church, to the point that many religious leaders lived luxurious lifestyles that the lay people could only dream of. These so-called holy men had concubines on the side with which they had children, and they covered up abuses. Imagine how much trust was eroded.

A technology that allowed for fast and wide distribution of information — often unchecked for accuracy and truth. Just imagine the crazy conspiracies that were spread far and wide.

Rampant racism and religious intolerance in which violence was not only condoned but expected — all done in the name of God, nonetheless. Imagine how confusing and exhausting it must be to claim to follow the Prince of Peace while using violence and dehumanizing those that are different from yourself.