Amy Jacober

“Worship that can be conducted by persons who refuse to give shelter to the houseless, bread to the hungry, clothing to the naked, and who enjoin obedience to a law forbidding these acts of mercy, is a curse, not a blessing.” - Frederick Douglass

As the denomination I grew up in (the Southern Baptist Convention) officially bans women from preaching and pastoring, I’m reflecting on how they taught me it’s “biblical” to hear the Gospel preached by a cartoon cucumber, but not by a woman.

In the year 125AD, a Greek philosopher named Aristides attempted to explain Christianity to Roman Emperor Hadrian. Here’s how he described these early Christians… “They love one another. They never fail to help widows. They save orphans from those who would hurt them. If they have something, they give freely to the one who has nothing. If they see an immigrant, they take him into their homes and rejoice over him as a brother.” I know very few people who would describe us the same way today. Most folks see Christians primarily as unwavering supporters of a convicted sexual abuser with 91 felony charges, gatekeepers who fight to keep anyone they don’t like out of their churches, and pursuers of political power which is then wielded in ways that harm our most vulnerable neighbors. We have fallen so far. Lord, have mercy. Something has to change.

I know a lot of us are on here trying to better understand what is happening in Israel and Palestine, which is next to impossible with the current state of Twitter. But this is from Telos who has been doing peacemaking work under the leadership of Israelis and Palestinians in that region for a long time. It was helpful to me as I seek to understand and know how to pray. I hope it is helpful for you too.