love versus hatred – The Noontimes

Matthew 28:8-15: Fake News

Monday, April 28, 2025

In this second week of Eastertide, we continue to relive the Easter miracle of our resurrection. We re-visit the Gospel readings for the Easter Octave, and today we reflect on the false news that abounded in Jesus’ time just as it does with us today.

While [Mary Magdalene and the other Mary] went on their way, some of the soldiers guarding the tomb went back to the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened.

Wherever there is darkness, the light of Christ will pierce deceit and lies.

The chief priests met with the elders and made their plan; they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers and said, “You are to say that his disciples came during the night and stole his body while you were asleep.

Wherever there is secrecy, the power of God will overcome plots and schemes.

And if the Governor should hear of this, we will convince him that you are innocent, and you will have nothing to worry about.”

Wherever there is hatred, the consolation of the Spirit will heal with justice and mercy.

The guards took the money and did what they were told to do. And so that is the report spread around by the Jews to this very day.

Wherever there is false news, we rely on the authority of God to lead us to the truth. We trust the model of Christ to ask with compassion. And we believe in the support of the Spirit to reconcile the world.

Click on the image to read about a case study of fake news by Shelly Palmer or visit: https://www.shellypalmer.com/2018/01/fake-news-case-study/

We learn how to spot fake news at the following sites: https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/10/31/559571970/learning-to-spot-fake-news-start-with-a-gut-check and http://www.readbrightly.com/critical-reading-teaching-kids-discern-real-information-fake-news/ and https://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/10-ways-to-spot-fake-news-story.htm

Enter the words false teachers, false leaders or false prophets into the blog search bar for how to discern good fruits from bad.

April 28, 2025

dark versus light, false leaders, false prophets, false teachers, love versus hatred, secrecy versus openness

2 Samuel 14 & 15: Deceit – Part I

2 Samuel 14 & 15: Deceit – Part I

Friday, October 18, 2024

David, Amnon, Tamar, Absalom. Joab, the woman from Tekoa, Zadok the priest, Ziba, Ahithophel. What an amazing cast of characters to play the roles we find in this tale we have visited often – the story of a family fueled by envy, payback, and violence – the story of a family spiraling into self-destruction. Exile and Return, Forgiveness and Revenge. These are themes familiar to any people on any day in any generation. Today’s reading presents us with a window into the lives of several members of Jesus’ family tree as we see them plot and connive with tremendous skill; but eventually we see that gains born of deceit have no place in honest relationships; and this is a lesson we may want to carry into our own most intimate relationships, especially our relationship with God.

The first verse in chapter 15 stands out to us: After this Absalom provided himself with chariots, horses, and fifty henchmen.

Absalom returns home after having murdered his brother Amnon, and he is pardoned by his father, King David. Yet his first act is to begin to lay the ground work to continue his life of deception and connivance. Clearly he did not learn much during his years in exile in Geshur. Perhaps he spent them in denial of his own deeds, brooding about how he had been wronged and plotting to continue his revenge rather than spending time in introspection. Perhaps he nursed his anger, allowing hatred to bloom in his heart in the place where forgiveness rightly dwells.

Tomorrow, a prince of a powerful nation.

A Favorite from November 21, 2008.

Image from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Rape_of_Tamar_MET_LC-1984_342-1.jpg

October 18, 2024

Absalom, Ahithophel, Amnon, David, Exile and Return, Forgiveness and Revenge, Joab, love versus hatred, Tamar, Zadok, Ziba

Psalm 23: Shepherding

Psalm 23: Shepherding

Friday, April 28, 2023

A Favorite from April 10, 2011.

I attended a memorial service yesterday preceded by a celebration of the life of the deceased. These things are never easy. Part of the service was the comforting 23^rd Psalm, the Old Testament reading was from Proverbs 3 (wisdom as a feminine force) and the New Testament was John 14 (Do not let your hearts be troubled . . . I am going to prepare a place for you.) Scripture has the power to heal . . . if we allow it.

I am struck by how often we turn to the divine seeking solace – expecting the comfort and wisdom of the words to be instant much like our meals in the microwave, our movies on demand, and our relationships which must fulfill some purpose for us in order to be profitable. The sermon today was given by Bishop Newman and he spoke of his time as pastor at the Cathedral of Mary our Queen when he asked a sound engineer to find the places in the immense building that did not receive sound well. He referred to these places as “dead areas” and he asked us to think of the dead places in our lives that were like the deadness of Lazarus which we had heard in today’s Gospel (John 11:1-45). He asked us to think of the “little deaths” we experience: addictions that govern us, work losses that discourage us, damage to relationships, troubles in a marriage that gnaw at us; and he asked us to think of how we resolved these problems or how we stirred ourselves to address these dead places. Surely goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives . . .

As he spoke, I thought of the dead zones in my life, and I thought about the opportunities I have been given for resurrection and redemption. Surely we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever . . .

We must be persistent and fearless in our pursuit of God’s understanding and in our practice of God’s love. I will fear no evil, for you are with me . . .

We must be courageous and creative in our determination to resolve the problems that create dead zones in our lives. Your rod and staff comfort me . . .

We must always take all problems with our enemies to God, remembering that God alone can deal with betrayal and deceit. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies . . .

We must remember that God constantly seeks new ways to love us and to bolster us on our journey. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows . . .

We cannot hear God through the cacophony of our days. We must make a quiet place where we might allow rest and restoration because he makes me lie down in green pastures . . .

We must look for our imperfections, confess them, and ask God to heal them for God is more powerful than any force we know, even death. He called the dead Lazarus from the tomb, and so he calls us to come to him for healing. The extent of our “deadness” or the number of the “little deaths” in our lives is unimportant. God is more powerful, and more loving, and more present than we have imagined. The Lord is my shepherd . . .

I love Marty Haugen’s version of this Psalm from the GATHER hymnal which we so often sing, and which I use as an opening prayer in my classes during this time of year: Shepherd me, O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death into life . . .

Let us rejoice that God is among us always to comfort, to heal, to restore, to transform and to redeem. And let us open ourselves more to God’s wise and merciful shepherding.

Tomorrow, crossing the Jordan.

Listen to the Marty Haugen setting of the 23rd Psalm at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L55J02iTGjM

Image from: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/538672805408454029/

April 28, 2023

dead zones, Good Shepherd, John 11:1-45, love versus hatred

Tag: love versus hatred

Matthew 28:8-15: Fake News

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2 Samuel 14 & 15: Deceit – Part I

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Psalm 23: Shepherding

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