Prayer for April 2, 2021

Prayer for April 2, 2021: Please pray with me. God who brings goodness out of evil, on this day, we remember the violence that Jesus suffered — mocking, shame, taunts, beatings, abandonment, the ripping of his skin, exhaustion, nakedness, crucifixion. All those present throughout this day thought they were breaking Jesus down, destroying him violently. Yet Jesus did not break. He did not respond to the violence with his own violence. He rejected violence and continued to offer love, peace, and forgiveness. He did not break. Instead, those consumed by violence only exposed what violence is really about — lust for power and control over others. Violence, at its core is about being a twisted form of divine that rules without mercy, demands complete obedience, and punishes all who would disobey. It is the most outward expression of immaturity, dehumanization, and empty intellectual thought. Violence is the exact opposite of what you God have always been about — Shalom wholeness of creation, the way of peace, seeing the image of God in all others, loving our neighbors and enemies, and loving you. Let us follow your example and lead. Let this Good Friday smash the chains of sin and addiction to violence that have a firm hold on us and our society. Free us of the thirst for violence. Amen.

Originally published at https://pastormatthewbest.com on April 2, 2021.