There are many like me who simply can't understand. We can't understand what it is like to live in parts of New Orleans today. A man in prison told me that he "prayed to be put in prison" because he had children and he wanted to be alive to see them grow up. Imagine. He wanted to go to a safer place, so he prayed to be incarcerated.
Imagine having to get up every day not knowing if this is your last. Imagine having to keep wary eyes open in case someone rushes you and begins to spat out bullets from a previously hidden gun. Imagine worrying that night will come and with it more chances for hits. Imagine never being able to tell anyone about your fears because if you "rat" you will most certainly increase the chances of your being shot.
Imagine.
Then imagine what the introduction of love does to that living system. Imagine what a dose of Christ, a real dose of Christ from people who will become the hands and feet of the Messiah will do to a system that is littered with bodies and cloaked in fear.
Imagine.
This morning lift a prayer to a community that knows fear more than it knows Jesus. Imagine a city on a hill, cloaked in warm light from the one who is the light of the world, shining into the dark hearts of the deadly town.
Imagine.
Then imagine that you, me, us, might be the vessels that begin to pour this love into the community. A hot meal here. A prayer with hands gripped, not in death grips but in life grips, white and black, poor and middle class. A day spent cleaning a neighborhood. A night hushed by love.
Imagine.
What should we do? What can we do?
Psalm 99 in the Message says: God rules. On your toes, everybody! He rules from his angel throne -- take notice. God looms majestic in Zion."
Bless his name. Shout to him. Ask for inventiveness, intensiveness, inspiration.
Christ conquered the world. Can't he conquer violence?
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