Tag: hope

The Children of Gaza

~ Pam Marolla ~ Leave a comment

Yesterday’ preaching text was Luke’s version of the Lord’ Prayer. I am always taken by the communal nature of the prayer – i.e. “our bread, our trespasses/sins/debts‘ deliver us, lead us not . . .”

I became more aware, sometime in the last 2 decades, while co-leading a Bible study of this text/prayer just how communal it was. I was teaching about “ give us this day our daily bread” in a community where hunger and need for clean drinking water were daily issues. Who was I to have such regular abundance when these new friends, these children of God, these people who also prayed for “our daily bread,” would go hungry more often than not?

There are definitely orchestrated political and economic policies and events which exacerbate (if not institute) these situations. In the US it is frowned upon to mention such things from the pulpit, lest the preacher be deemed “too political.”

I mentioned them from the pulpit yesterday. I spoke of starving children in Gaza and the forces that were letting food ROT rather than let it feed the hungry. That’s about as far as I went with it when I started to note a few people giving each other that look that says “she’s gone about as close to the line as she can without crossing it.” I will respect that look until God calls me to do otherwise. I have been with this beloved congregation nearly 13 years and I love what we are able to do within the constraints of communal decision-making.

So, I started this blog – for those things about which I feel compelled to explore further. It reflects my opinions in the midst of my own calling and discernment to see Jesus “in the least of these.” (Mt 25) and to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with my God.” (Micah 6:8)

I stumbled across this hymn today by a very talented contemporary hymn writer. Musicians, artists, and poets have the ability to take us into places that preachers often cannot. You may recognize the tune from “Oh sacred head now wounded.”

What we have done/not done for the “least of these” is our message on how we have treated Jesus.

Hope, Healing, and Human Rights – Outline

~ Pam Marolla ~ Leave a comment

We cannot look away from history but must learn from it.

Human Rights   – after the horrors of WWII, countries from all over the world formed the UN owning the atrocities committed during these years. They wanted to establish a global foundation for what it is to be human and what humanity deserves.

If you visit a Holocaust Museum or even their websites – you will understand that wars don’t begin with weapons. They begin with words. Dehumanizing words and orchestrated propaganda.  (talk about these words together.)

“Fear is the path to the dark side…fear leads to anger…anger leads to hate…hate leads to suffering.” Yoda, The Phantom Menace

              Instead of “Dark Side,” I would choose the word inhumanity.  Let’s talk about those dehumanizing words.

Fear – Anger – hate – suffering – inhumanity

On the other hand, there is another way when things are difficult.

Hope – Is what gives us the motivation to do courageous things – to do what is right and just. We receive hope when we witness others practicing humanity and standing up to those who do not.

Healing – occurs when we find community that stands with us.  It does not come without intention or collaboration. We need to show each other that we are all doing our part. Please do not think that just because you don’t consider yourself a community leader, that you don’t have a part to play. Leaders are getting weary. Everyone must do their part as they did after WWII – BEFORE the world becomes completely driven by inhumanity. It’s been repeated throughout recorded history. Find your spiritual grounding. Find like-minded people. Consider what you can do. Do it. Rest. Repeat. Some of my spiritual groundings are printed below.

. . .suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. (Romans 5) 
. . . but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40)

Resources And Links Below

UN Declaration of Human Rights  Adopted: December 10, 1948

Note – the US has rejected many of these rights and has stepped away from the Human Rights Council for many reasons.

Women delegates from various countries played a key role in getting women’s rights included in the Declaration. Hansa Mehta of India (standing above Eleanor Roosevelt) is widely credited with changing the phrase “All men are born free and equal” to “All people.” The UN’s objectives, as outlined by its charter, include maintaining international peace and security, protecting human rights, delivering humanitarian aid, promoting sustainable development, and upholding international law.[5] At its founding, the UN had 51 member states; as of 2024, it has 193 sovereign states, nearly all of the world’s recognized sovereign states.[6]

Holocaust Museum Links

  • ushmm.org – US Holocaust Museum. Washington DC
  • thebremen.org – One of the leading destinations in Atlanta, GA, our Jewish culture, arts and history museum is home to the permanent exhibition Absence of Humanity: The Holocaust Years, 1933-1945; 
  • abhmuseum.org America’s Black Holocaust Museum

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A Question Came up about Suicide

~ Pam Marolla ~ Leave a comment

A senior friend of mine from long ago and far away drops me a note every once in awhile. She was a friend of my mother. That’s how far back we go.

She sent me a heartbreaking question this morning. A relative had died by suicide. Other family members were telling a young grieving widow that the devil had gotten into her husband – with the accompanying assumption that hell will be his next address. “What is your view on suicide?

I’ve talked to a number of people in the last week that are in really hard places. I’ve been there myself. I’m going to share my response just in case it is helpful to anyone else.

First, I need to point out that I am a Lutheran pastor. We baptize infants before they can do anything to earn God’s favor. God’s salvation is a gift which we do not earn, but can embrace with our gratitude. We do profess our faith and share it. We just don’t believe there is a need for many multiple repetitions of the “Sinner’s Prayer” hoping that one will seem earnest enough for God to hear and accept. We are justified by faith as a free gift.

24 they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; 26 it was to demonstrate at the present time his own righteousness, so that he is righteous and he justifies the one who has the faith of Jesus. (Romans 3 – NRSVUE)

My Response

Dear Friend,

I am so sorry to hear about this heartbreaking tragedy. The devil may be a deceiver, but is not more powerful than God. I believe that God is Lord of all time and eternity and God is love. I believe that when we are done with our bodies we will see Jesus without the filters of our limited human understanding. We will see Christ as True Light and Love. It will be so irresistible, few if any could possibly turn away from the Good Shepherd who loves us and longs to hold us safe and secure forever. That is the source of hope that propels me forward when nothing else makes sense.

God would not condemn one who was hurting so badly that they couldn’t bear the thought of living. Those are the people Jesus chased after and embraced in the Gospels. (John 10 Good Shepherd. Luke 15 and Matthew 18 – the lost sheep)

(she shares my political leanings, and I have been sharing these words to keep up my own spirits – “Rome fell. Jesus lived”)