Love, Justice and Relationships - Lent 2024 by Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

Lenten Devotional 2024

Table of

Contents

Lenten Devotional 2024 | Kasey Jones

1 | Introduction 2 | About

MCCALL LENTEN DEVOTIONAL INTRODUCTION WHAT IS LENT?

3 | February 14 4 | February 15 5 | February 16 6 | February 17

RELATIONSHIPS MATTER! HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE? | Emmanuel McCall WHY DO YOU STAND SO FAR OFF? | Mark Snipes SO GREAT A LOVE | James C. Perkins HEAR . . . AGAIN | T. Devan Franklin III

Contributors

Devotional Committee: Charles Collins, Sharon Felton,

Jeffery Howard, Kasey Jones, Antonio Vargas

Production Team:

Aaron Weaver, Amy Cook, Lauren Lamb, Jeff Langford, Xiomara Reboyras

INTRODUCTION The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship family and friends have prepared the 2024 Emmanuel McCall Lenten Devotional series you are preparing to read. It is a project of love designed to be read during the season of Lent, which begins February 14, 2024.

We live in a curious time that is fragmented by anger, greed, self-gratification, anxiety and prejudice. The world would be a better place if we learned to love without limit. Each of us could benefit from a time of contemplative self-reflection, focusing our attention as the Bible teaches: Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Therefore, the theme for the McCall Lenten Devotional series is Love, Justice & Relationships. The purpose of this year’s devotional guide is to encourage readers to push beyond the superficial and do the hard work of speaking the truths about love and how real love is the basis of justice for all of God’s people. Use your favorite Bible version to read along with the daily devotions. As you read, you will find wonderful reflections on God’s Word with thought-provoking questions, prayers and space to journal. The contributors are diverse in gender, ethnicity, age, income and geography. There is a mix of both clergy and laity. As you read, may the Holy Spirit speak to you. May your heart be open to the call of God to speak, walk and act justly. May your faith, courage and boldness grow stronger. May our community and our country become instruments and examples of God’s love demonstrated by how we care for the entire community. Acknowledgments: Many thanks to all the contributors to the 2024 Emmanuel McCall Lenten Devotional series. A special thank you to the team that made this devotional possible: Sharon Felton, Charles E. Collins, Jr., Antonio Vargas, Jeffery Howard, Amy Cook and Aaron Weaver. Kasey Jones CBF Associate Coordinator for Outreach & Growth

SCAN THE QR CODE to listen to the Lenten 2024 playlist at www.cbf.net/playlist.

What Is Lent? Lent is a period of 40 days which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on the Saturday before Easter. Sundays are not counted because Sunday always celebrates Jesus’ victory over sin and death.

Lent is a season of preparation for the celebration of Easter. The word “Lent” comes from the AngloSaxon “lencten,” which means “spring,” the time of the lengthening of days. The 40 days are a time for consideration of our human condition, including sin and its deadly consequences for both individuals and society. It is also a time for an intense consideration of the new possibilities offered to us in Jesus Christ and the implications of these possibilities for practical living. The observance of Lent is intended to engage people at different stages of their commitment. Originally, Lent was a time of converts’ final preparation for baptism. For the baptized who are active in the church, there is always the need for reassessment and renewal, in case a lively faith be diminished by conformity to old ways, or simply by the dead weight of unimaginative piety. Finally, for those who have departed from the faith, or “backslidden,” the 40 days can be a time for restitution and restoration.

Sources: Floyd, Pat. The Special Days and Seasons of the Christian Year: How They Came About and How They Are Observed by Christians Today. Stookey, Laurence H. Calendar: Christ’s Time for the Church.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2024

Relationships Matter! How Deep Is Your Love? “I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.”

What a wonderful privilege and opportunity! God has invited us to join in expressing God’s love to the entirety of humanity. We respond by opening our hearts and minds to understanding God’s purposes. We share that understanding in all the ways available to us. Our tasks are not easy. The evil that Jesus encountered is waiting for us each day. The Apostle Paul helps us understand the challenge. It includes being open to those who hate and who do not understand God; who have closed their minds with selfish ambitions. Some even profane the purposes of God by distortion. Paul, God’s servant, challenges us to a higher servanthood. It includes being open to those who hate God; who do not understand God; who have closed their own minds with selfish ambitions. As Paul influenced Timothy, he still influences us. We have greater opportunities to communicate across cultures, distances, racial barriers and other limitations. These opportunities to represent God are precious. To be silent or absent is an abdication of responsibility. To make loud the eternal message of God is an opportunity to be seized upon and multiplied. ETERNAL GOD, please help us to have the mind of Christ Jesus: to represent God everywhere we go; to love your world and its people at every opportunity. May we grow so close to you that we will love all your world and its people. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Emmanuel McCall Namesake CBF McCall Racial Justice Initiative Retired Pastor Union City, Georgia

– 2 Timothy 4:1-5, NLT

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024

Why Do You Stand So Far Off?

“You will bring justice to orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them.” – Psalm 10:18, NLT

Last year, CBF of Virginia held an event at Union Presbyterian Seminary. This event spotlighted two churches, divided among generational racial lines, who came together to build bridges within their community. This event was about learning from their stories. During a Q&A session, one pastor was asked: “So many white Christians go to church to get away from things, away from politics. How do you convince your congregation to have hard conversations, to do the work of advocacy?” The response of Dr. Goolsby blew me away. “In the Black Church, we don’t have the luxury to get away. We must advocate for ourselves, our community and those in the margins.” Love is justice. Psalm 10:18 says “You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them.” At the beginning of this Psalm, the writer asks “Why, Lord, do you stand far off?” In so many ways, this was Dr. Goolsby’s response to the white, moderate church. Lent is a season of sacrifice and transformation. Dr. Goolsby challenged me through his bold witness, calling into question the way I understand my faith in the world. How do I ‘not stand far off?’” I have always understood conceptually that love equals justice. Through Goolsby’s challenge, I was pushed from understanding only, to living out faith differently in my everyday life. Concept turned into action transformation. PRAYER: God, help us be transformed this Lenten season. May we be moved from conceptual knowledge to concrete action. Amen. Mark Snipes Coordinator CBF Virginia Richmond,Virginia

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development OFFICE OF COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress On a single night in 2022, roughly 582,500 people were experiencing homelessness in the United States. Six in 10 (60%) were staying in sheltered locations—emergency shelters, safe havens or transitional housing programs—and four in 10 (40%) were in unsheltered locations such as on the street, in abandoned buildings or in other places not suitable for human habitation.

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Note

There continues to be an overrepresentation of people who identify as Black, African American or African, as well as indigenous people (including Native Americans and Pacific Islanders) among the population experiencing homelessness compared to the U.S. population. People who identify as Black make up just 12% of the total U.S. population but comprise 37% of all people experiencing homelessness and 50% of people experiencing homelessness as members of families with children. Learn more here.

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2024

So Great a Love

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” – Romans 12:9-13, NIV

Any person who possesses the slightest spiritual and social sensitivity cannot help but feel an almost smothering depression settling over one’s soul as we look out upon the deteriorating conditions of the world around us. By almost any gauge, the consensus seems to be that we are passing through a perilous period that is unprecedented for its violence, racial animosity, decline of democracy, greed and hatred expressed in myriad forms. Many people who once beamed and bubbled with hope and talked exuberantly about a better day ahead have now toned down their rhetoric, adjusted the lenses of their premature optimism and begun to wonder if we will survive to face the future. In a song from the pop charts of a generation ago, singers Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway melodiously mused around the musical question, “Where Is the Love?” And when we look at the fragmentation of our world and the hatred that we so vehemently express towards each other, we cannot help but wonder, “Where is the love?” Where is the love we ought to have for God, for others and for ourselves? The Master told us that the greatest of all the commandments God left to us is to Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31 NIV). People in touch with the life-preserving and soul-empowering force of love do not privately mutilate or publicly castigate themselves or each other. In this passage from Paul’s epistle to the Church at Rome, Paul tells us how we are to express our love in a practical way towards one another in our daily lives. He lists 10 ways by which this love ought to be expressed and it must be unconditional. Unconditional love is what God has for us. This love of which Paul speaks must be practiced toward each other whether or not we agree on certain issues or whether we’re of the same ethnicity or economic status. We love each other because we’re all God’s children and God loves us no matter our faults or failures. Let us strive to love others as God loves us. PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we thank you for loving us enough to give your life for us. Help us to love others as you love us so that our world will be filled with your spirit as it is in heaven. Amen. James C. Perkins Pastor Emeritus, Greater Christ Baptist Church Detroit, Michigan

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2024

HEAR...AGAIN

“While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some scoffed; but others said, ‘We will hear you again about this.’”

David Ausburger suggests that “being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person they are almost indistinguishable.” If you have ever been ignored or overlooked, you can confirm how demeaning and discouraging it can be. You may also be able to confirm how life-giving it is when someone is intentionally attentive to your voice. In Acts 17, when Paul finds himself in philosophical enemy territory, he uses his voice to make known to the Athenians the “Unknown God.” Paul calls them to repentance, citing an impending judgment levied by the one whom God had raised from the dead. Two responses are noted in the text—those who scoffed, and those who were willing to “hear… again.” Oftentimes our political, philosophical and theological differences set us at odds with others. We are prone to scoffing at voices that we deem irrelevant. It is here that the text challenges us. Perhaps the reality of a resurrected Jesus should spark in us a desire to “hear… again.” To hear, we must recognize the humanity of others and acknowledge their voice as valuable. The Areopagus was a space for the hearing of new things (Acts 17:21). In a time when social media algorithms curate our preference of voices, we must be intentional about making space to hear other voices. If our profession of faith in a risen Jesus grants us audience with God to hear our prayers and petitions, then we ought to consider hearing others again. Certainly, we have been enemies of God in our own ways, yet we hope that—because God loves us—God will hear us… again. Jesus’ resurrection can shape our love of neighbor by making us willing to hear...again. REFLECTION: At whom have we scoffed because of our differences and how can we hear their voices afresh? Take time today to stop and listen. Take time today to hear voices anew. Take time to truly see and hear with the heart of God as we begin this journey through Lent. T. Devan Franklin III Senior Pastor, Bethel Missionary Baptist Church Nashville, Tennessee

– Acts 17:30-32, NRSV

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2024

SCAN THE QR CODE to listen to the Lenten 2024 playlist at www.cbf.net/playlist.

Sundays for

Reflection

EACH WEEK DURING LENT, Sunday provides a space to reflect, to journal, to challenge yourself to see your community and the world in a new light. A space to create and a space for justice work.

Journaling Prompts: 1. What has stood out to you so far during your devotional time?

2. Write a prayer to God about your concerns.

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2024

RESOURCES

Books, Articles & Podcasts Books on Race and Reconciliation

Book Club Reading Guides – August 2022–May 2023 – June 2021–May 2022 – August 2020-May 2021 – August 2019–May 2020 CBF Book Club Homepage “How Can We Solve the Black Maternal Health Crisis?” (John Hopkins) Podcasts on Race and Reconciliation (PDF) Visual Resources on Race (PDF)

More Links Dr. Emmanuel McCall Racial Justice and Leadership Initiative CBF Latino Network: Familia Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy – Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Racial Justice Pilgrimages

Get Involved Voting Rights

– Vote Riders – Center for Common Ground

Sojourners BJC Center for Faith and Justice and Reconciliation Fellowship Southwest Together for Hope Racial Equity Institute Equal Justice Initiative

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2024

The Deep and Wide Love of God

“Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2, NRSV

Too often we view God’s love too narrowly and see it as an individual possession. While it is true that God loves each of us individually, God’s love is not limited to any one person, to any one race or to any one nation. It doesn’t belong to any of us individually or to any of us disproportionately. Many voices in the world today call us to view God’s love too narrowly. These are the voices of selfishness, arrogance and narcissism and they are also heard in those who embrace white privilege and dangerous nationalism. Those voices turn us inward and close us off. But God’s amazing love opens us to others in deep compassion and sacrificial love. As we are overtaken by the depth and reach of God’s love in Christ, we will come to bear one another’s burdens. And we won’t understand that phrase only in terms of the people who live closest to us or who are most like us; but rather, we will begin carrying the burdens and struggles created by generations of racism. Bearing one another’s burdens doesn’t just mean that we recognize the struggles of others, but that we give of our physical, financial and social resources to alleviate those burdens and transform them. The church is called not only to receive the remarkable, resurrecting and repairing love of God in Jesus, but to participate in it. We are called to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives and heal devastations of many generations. We cannot know God’s love truly and ignore the struggles of people—all people, made in the image of God. REFLECTION: How are we called to bear the burdens of others this Lent and beyond? Paul Baxley Executive Coordinator, CBF Decatur, Georgia

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2024

Twisted Threads of Justice

“Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly.” – Leviticus 19:15, NLT

Leviticus may not be the typical choice for devotional reading, but it’s essential for those who seek justice and righteousness. It calls us to imagine a society centered on God, where our daily lives, love and prayers reflect the presence of the Divine. Leviticus 19:15 commands, “Do not twist justice.” But what should we do when the systems and structures of justice around us are twisted? Today, we can easily compile a long list of incompetent leaders with hidden agendas, bitter political strife, unaccountable law enforcement, apathetic neighbors and if we’re truly honest, our own moments of enacting injustice. Yet this is not a new phenomenon; the original hearers of the law would have remembered the pain of twisted justice and oppression in Egypt. In a world where God’s glory often seems overshadowed by inequity, pursuing God means righting wrongs and ensuring fairness for all, even the “undeserving.” As followers of Jesus, invited by the Spirit to do justice, we must untangle the knots of injustice. When something is twisted, we must actively engage in un-twisting. To disentangle a culture that favors the wealthy and a discipleship that elevates celebrity and power, we must work to value, empower and advocate alongside the forgotten. This isn’t just a trendy call to action; it’s a divine mandate, a privilege where we partner to see God’s kingdom and vision, “on Earth as it is in Heaven.” REFLECTION: In your own life, where have you encountered the twisted threads of injustice? How might you follow Jesus by un-twisting? You don’t necessarily need new tools or strategies to do this work, just the willingness to love Jesus and often forgotten neighbors. Benji Suprice Associate Pastor, Church of the City New London, Connecticut

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024

CRUSHED Which word in this scripture stands out to you as you read it? Reread the two verses again with this question in mind. What feelings arise as you ruminate on this word?

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.” – Proverbs 31:8-9, NLT

For me, the word that causes my stomach to clench is “crushed.” Crushed. Experiencing overwhelming emotional pain due to the actions of another. Crushed. Feeling oppressed or grievously overburdened. Crushed. Being squeezed or forced by pressure to be altered or destroyed. I had the opportunity to hear the Reverend Dr. William Barber teach a Bible study on Luke 4:14-20. In verse 4:18, Jesus’s first public sermon, he says, “[The Lord] has sent me to preach good news to the poor…” Dr. Barber said there are a lot of words for “poor” in the Bible, and that the one used here is specifically referring to those who have been MADE poor. Jesus was suggesting in these verses the need to heal the condition of being poor or sick (or in prison, or blind or oppressed), and to eliminate the injustice at the root of that sickness. Those who are poor, sick, imprisoned, blind and oppressed are the crushed referred to in Proverbs 31:8. PRAYER: God of All Creation, we pause in Your presence and bring to mind those in our midst who are the poor, the sick, the helpless, the voiceless…the Crushed. They include family and friends. They are our neighbors and strangers. And all of them are Your children, just as we are all created in Your image. Grant us courage to stand in solidarity with Your children and with all of creation that is being crushed today. Compel us to work toward justice for all who are crushed in our communities. Amen. Lisa Brownlee Emmanuel Baptist Fellowship Columbia, South Carolina

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2024

It Doesn’t Have to Be this Way

“Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.’” – Deuteronomy 15:11, NRSV

“There will always be poor people in the land.” The author of Deuteronomy is not giving a pass to all those who come after since there will always be poor people. We just need to look at a few verses earlier to see how to prevent poverty! Earlier in verses 4-5, the author says, 4 There will, however, be no one in need among you, because the Lord is sure to bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you . . , 5 if only you will obey the Lord your God. IF we obey God, IF we share what we have, IF we open our hands, there will be no one in need. We have a responsibility to care for and work hard to do justice to all people. We have a responsibility to share what we have so that no one has need of anything! According to the U.S. Census, the official poverty rate in 2021 was 11.6% with 37.9 million people in poverty in the United States alone. We have work to do. If we break the data down by race: 0.7 % of white people live in poverty 0.8% of Asian people live in poverty 1.5% of Hispanic (any race) live in poverty 1.7% of Black people live in poverty 2.1% of Native American Indian and Alaskan Native live in poverty

Poverty is a justice issue. We have an abundance of resources—so much so that we literally throw food away. We have a large enough abundance of churches, community organizations, people and money that no one should ever experience poverty on our watch. Do not listen to the voices spewing hate, saying that people are lazy or working the system. Do not fall into the lie that “if people just pulled themselves up by their bootstraps,” they would be fine. These are all things used as excuses not to care, excuses to hold on tight to money and possessions, excuses to buy into the greed and hoarding with which our country is infested. Clearly, according to the U.S. Census statistics, we have a poverty problem and it’s a racial justice problem; just look at the numbers. Black and brown people experience higher rates of poverty than white people. How do we open our hands to the poor and needy in our land? We acknowledge the truth of how systems and communities have kept people poor. We recognize that there is work to be done and we listen to communities of color to see what they truly need and want. We work to make a just world for all of God’s children. We acknowledge that this doesn’t have to continue; we can change the systems and make sure that all have all they need, no matter their skin color or zip code. IF, we obey God, IF we share what we have, IF we open our hands, there will be no one in need. PRAYER: God, open our eyes to those around us struggling in poverty. Move us to see, to care and to act. Give us courage to break down systems that keep people in poverty; help us to open our hands and our hearts and our minds to creative and helpful solutions. Amen Sharon Felton CBF Congregational Advocacy Manager Frankfort, Kentucky

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2024

A Call to Action

“Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.” – Isaiah 10:1-2, NIV

Prophetic or profound, “WOE” should stir our individual souls and our collective soul! This sigh of the soul denotes sorrow, grief and anger—all to gain our attention. More than an admonition, “WOE” is a CALL TO ACTION! This call to action is not limited to leaders or lawmakers. Although the text begins by addressing those who make unjust laws and issue oppressive decrees (the leaders), it equally indicts those who make widows their prey and rob the fatherless (the people). Therefore, our shared responsibility is Justice for ALL! While we continue to struggle for the soul of the United States, we must be careful not to dismiss our individual and collective duty to form a more perfect union. Who will answer the call? From the nation’s inception, our documents and decrees verify the struggle of the soul. In the unedited Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson declared that slavery violated the most sacred rights of life and liberty; but that was removed from the final version. Ignoring this injustice was compounded by the constitutional amendment of counting slaves as 3/5 of a person. Who will answer the call? Even after the 1808 International Abolition of Slave Trade, we saw federal law endlessly struggle with the question of slavery. Between the 1820 Missouri Compromise, the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, the 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act, we failed to answer the call. Beyond unjust laws, even the interpretation of law was evil, evidenced in the Dred Scott Decision issued by the 1857 Supreme Court of the United States. We failed! Today, as we continue to struggle for the soul of the nation beset with oppressive laws, who will answer the call? “If you are neutral in instances of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” –Desmond Tutu. PRAYER: God help us! Amen Ivory Thigpen, Sr. Pastor, Rehoboth Baptist Church Columbia, South Carolina

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2024

Steps

Ways to Get Involved with Racial Justice Work

There are links to books, movies, podcasts and more available for you, your church or small group to begin to delve deeper into the work of racial justice. McCall Initiative

Take a Racial Justice Pilgrimage — either on your own or with a group, immerse yourself in our shared history to see firsthand how to begin to do the work of racial justice. Racial Justice Pilgrimages

Participate in a Voting Rights Campaign with your church or small group. Fill out this form and connect with some of the partners listed at the bottom of the form. McCall Initiative Voting Rights Campaign

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2024

SCAN THE QR CODE to listen to the Lenten 2024 playlist at www.cbf.net/playlist.

Sundays for

Reflection

EACH WEEK DURING LENT, Sunday provides a space to reflect, to journal, to challenge yourself to see your community and the world in a new light. A space to create and a space for justice work.

Journaling Prompts: 1. What has stood out to you so far during your devotional time?

2. Write a prayer to God about your concerns.

– 15 –

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2024

RESOURCES

Books, Articles & Podcasts Books on Race and Reconciliation

More Links Dr. Emmanuel McCall Racial Justice and Leadership Initiative CBF Latino Network: Familia Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy – Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Racial Justice Pilgrimages

Get Involved Voting Rights

– Vote Riders – Center for Common Ground

Sojourners BJC Center for Faith and Justice and Reconciliation Fellowship Southwest Together for Hope Racial Equity Institute Equal Justice Initiative

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2024

Follow Justice and Justice Alone

“Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly. Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent. Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you.”

In Deuteronomy 16:18-20 (NIV), we see a requirement that those who judge must judge fairly, not showing partiality based on stereotypes that influence and persuade actions that deny others opportunity for loving relationships. Real love changes self as it comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ as demonstrated by the love of God and others. John 13:35 (NIV) is witness of Jesus saying, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” REFLECTION: Have we reflected God’s love to the immigrant? Are there stereotypes of the immigrant that keep us from responding justly? PRAYER: God, as we reflect on justice for all, let us extend the real love of Jesus Christ to all. May our perceptions of others that lead to injustice and partiality be removed and may we live to provide the freedom of Christ’s love to all in Jesus’ name. Amen. Esther Pearson Senior Pastor, Beth Eden Baptist Church Waltham, Massachusetts

– Deuteronomy 16:18-20. NIV More than 2.8 million migrants have had encounters with authorities so far this fiscal year (October 2022–September 2023), compared to more than 2.7 million migrants in 2022, according to the latest Customs and Border Protection (CBP) statistics. The current migrant figure includes August, but not September, the last month of this fiscal year, which has yet to be announced at the time of this writing. About 2.2 million people were apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border through August, compared to 2.38 million border encounters for all of last year.

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Note

Stats and reporting courtesy of USA Today and U.S. Custom and Border Protection

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2024

The Grace to See

“My brothers and sisters, when you show favoritism you deny the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has been resurrected in glory.” – James 2:1, CEB

One day after leaving our school, my father said to us, “Let’s see what happens when we go into this fancy car dealership.” We went to this establishment that sold vehicles fancier than our family had ever owned. Before we went in, dad changed out of his suit and put on sweatpants, a T-shirt and slippers. My brother and I wondered wideeyed and excited if dad were truly interested in a Jag! Dad looked pretty sloppy—and that’s a compliment. My father loved seeing how people work. He greeted everyone he passed on the street. It didn’t matter where we were or how someone looked. When we walked into the dealership, no one greeted us or asked which model we were interested in. We meandered a bit and then finally someone approached us. After we left and got into our station wagon, my father asked how we thought the salesperson would have treated us if he were still in his suit. Do we often show favoritism towards people based on their appearance? Our perception of their economic standing? The color of their skin? Their accents? How do we treat others? We cross paths on streets and work-places, schools and neighborhoods—and probably even car dealerships—with multitudes of people. How often are they overlooked or even rejected because they don’t fit. Sometimes it might be that they appear to be scary; other times perhaps too fancy; or maybe they smell different. For a multitude of reasons, we the Church, followers of Jesus Christ, have looked past, have looked down upon, have looked with disgust, and have shown partiality to some. But for the glory of the resurrection… PRAYER: Holy God, show us how to be bearers of your grace as we heed your words to go and make disciples of ALL nations. Amen. Trisha Miller Manarin Executive Director/Minister of the District of Columbia Baptist Convention Washington, D.C.

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Note

on the following page

Continued on the following page

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2024, cont’d.

Discrimination and marginalization can serve as hindrances to upward mobility for ethnic and racial minorities seeking to escape poverty.

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In the United States, 39% of African-American children and adolescents and 33% of Latino children and adolescents are living in poverty, which is more than double the 14% poverty rate for non-Latino, White, and Asian children and adolescents (Kids Count Data Center, Children in Poverty 2014).

Minority racial groups are more likely to experience multidimensional poverty than their White counterparts (Reeves, Rodrigue, & Kneebone, 2016).

Although the income of Asian-American families often falls markedly above other minorities, these families often have four to five family members working (Le, 2008). African Americans (5%) and Latinos (43%) are more likely to receive high-cost mortgages than Caucasians (18%) (Logan, 2008).

African-American unemployment rates are typically double that of Caucasian Americans. African-American men working full-time earn only 72% of the average earnings of comparable Caucasian men and 85% of the earnings of Caucasian women (Rodgers, 2008).

Data Courtesy of the American Psychological Association; Ethnic and Racial Minorities & Socioeconomic Status (apa.org)

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Note

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Sharing is Caring Most mornings, after I push through bumper-to-bumper traffic on my way to work, I arrive with just enough time to drop my bag and head out for a cup of coffee before the marathon of meetings starts. The same was true on a sunny fall day in D.C. I took my usual two-and-a-half block walk to a local deli. As I passed by, head down, scrolling through my calendar, I noticed a young man standing outside that deli. For a moment our eyes connected and then a brief pause followed by a hesitant voice that called out, “Excuse me, Sir. Can you spare some change?” It should not surprise you that in this rapidly changing, no cash currency exchange in which we live, I was not “Dear friends, carrying cash. And as I write these words, I hear my grandmother saying, since God so loved us, “Always keep a little something on you; just in case of emergency.” we also ought to I paused in my tracks recognizing that I was the “Sir,” that the request was presented to. Glancing up from my phone, I quickly replied, “I’m love one another ... sorry, I don’t carry cash.” Unlike times before, moving hastily with the Whoever claims to love rhythm and flow of the city, I stopped long enough to recognize his God yet hates a brother or humanity and his humility. My focus was no longer on how many meetings sister is a liar. For I had for the day or getting that much-needed cup of coffee. It was on this young man standing in front of me, asking for help. In that instance whoever does not I realized that it could have been me. love their brother and I put my phone down and asked, “Are you hungry?” He immediately sister, whom they have replied, “Yes!” Now focused on him, I said, “Let’s eat. Where would you seen, cannot love God, like to go?” He said, “I wouldn’t mind eating in this deli, but they won’t whom they have not seen.” allow me in there; they will only turn me away.” I said, “Well, I have every intention of stopping there today. I am sure they won’t turn you away.” As – 1 John 4:11, 20, NIV we walked into that deli, I noticed a plaque with scripture imprinted on it and currency with the inscription, “In God we trust,” being exchanged for service; yet the owner and a server immediately motioned to stop his entrance. I interrupted their stride by asking for a table for two. They were shocked and stumbled over their words, but eventually took us to a table. I told him to get whatever he wanted. He queried once again, “Are you sure they will let me eat?” I asked his name and motioned for him to look at the menu. He ordered from the menu and even ate off the buffet. We sat and I listened to his story. It is one that we have all heard before—18, no parents, living in a shelter and working to figure out the best way to make it. I was moved to be still and hear and see him. After about 30 minutes of eating and talking, I heard the kindest thank you that I have ever received. “Thank you for stopping. Thank you for caring.” I have not seen him since that day. I don’t know what became of him. But what I know is that for about an hour on one day, God positioned me to stop and to care. That is what Christ is calling us to do—to love and to love deeply. We tend to appreciate the idea of love until we are required to put action behind it. We love the parts of love that appear as butterflies and rainbows. However, we show up as frail and limited when challenged with difference. Certainly, there will be challenges in how we relate to each other, whether culturally, financially, spiritually or a combination of things. But how we experience people, witness to each other’s humanity, love people despite differences, accept and acknowledge others wherever they happen to be in life, and stop to say, “I care,” is what God calls us to. REFLECTION: What if God considered you just another number? Walter Hawkins wrote it best, “…it could have been me, outdoors, no food, no clothes…just another number.” Charles E. Collins, Jr. CBF Pan African Koinonia Steering Committee Senior Pastor, Sufficient Grace Ministries Washington, D.C.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2024

All God’s Children

“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” – Matthew 5:46-48, NRSVUE

In the rural North Carolina town where I grew up 30 years ago, local politics were heated. Even though virtually every voter in the area was a registered Democrat, there were, in practice, two rival political parties in each local contest: Blacks and whites. In a very real way, among white people in my hometown, Black people were not just “othered,” they were the political enemy. In the verses immediately preceding our scripture passage for today, Jesus bluntly told his mountainside audience that they were to love their enemies. These subsequent rhetorical questions that we read today only emphasize the point that if we truly wish to be faithful, we must love the people whom we would prefer not to love. Our goal, according to Jesus, should be relational perfection, loving everyone—especially those with whom we would rather not be in relationship at all. While we can readily recognize the reprehensibility of white peoples’ protection of white power, those of us who were entrenched in the system had no problem reconciling our racism with our Christian faith. Therefore, we must read Jesus’ words, not just as a sweet reminder to love others, but as a call for us today to examine whom we treat as unworthy of love so that we can repent and truly love all God’s children. PRAYER: O God, we know that to you all of us are beloved children. Help us to always strive to love as you do so that we see all of humanity as beloved children of God, just like you. Amen. Brian Harrington Georgetown Baptist Church Georgetown, Kentucky

Justice

Note

– 21 –

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2024

See The Good

“Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.” – Amos 5:15 NRSV

Hate the evil. That’s pretty easy to do. Cruelty offends us. Injustice drives us to anger. Human suffering increases our sorrow. Of course, we hate the evil that people do. Love the good. That’s pretty easy to do. Kindness draws us. Selfsacrifice gains our admiration. Cheerful efforts encourage us. Of course, we love the good that people do. But here’s the problem; I don’t know anyone who is all evil or all good. And here’s another problem; often we stop looking for the good in each other because it seems to count less than the bad. In 2016, Amnesty International conducted a social experiment styled after psychologist Arthur Aron’s work. Pairs of strangers looked into each other’s eyes for four minutes and felt the close connection of being human. Maybe when it comes to loving people, we just need to take the time to really look at them until we can see the good. Until we can see that we are just like them. Hafiz’ poem, “With That Moon Language,” says, “Why not become the one who lives with a full moon in each eye that is always saying, with that sweet moon language, what every other eye in this world is dying to hear?” Hate the evil but don’t forget about the good. It’s there, in each one of us. God put it there. Look for it. Love the good. Justice will follow. PRAYER: Loving God, help us to see the evil and the good. And then help us to love each other as you have loved us. Amen. Joy Yee Senior Pastor, Nineteenth Avenue Baptist Church San Francisco, California

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SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 2024

Child of All Nations

Child of All Nations, Tina Boyles Bailey, 2007 CBF Field Personnel

When one is hurt, we are all hurt. We are all created in the image of God. Yet we are often blind to this. This child represents the fracturing that happens when we forget that we are all created in God’s image and that when one suffers, we all suffer. We shatter our connection to others and ourselves in the process. PRAYER: God, instill in me a love big enough and wide enough to redeem me from the fragmented shards of my heart. Open my heart to love that is strong enough to uplift, build and restore relationships. Help me to suffer with my neighbor and begin the journey to reconciliation. Amen.

– 23 –

SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 2024

SCAN THE QR CODE to listen to the Lenten 2024 playlist at www.cbf.net/playlist.

Sundays for

Reflection

EACH WEEK DURING LENT, Sunday provides a space to reflect, to journal, to challenge yourself to see your community and the world in a new light. A space to create and a space for justice work.

Journaling Prompts: 1. What has stood out to you so far during your devotional time?

2. Write a prayer to God about your concerns.

– 24 –

SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 2024

RESOURCES

Books, Articles & Podcasts Books on Race and Reconciliation

More Links Dr. Emmanuel McCall Racial Justice and Leadership Initiative CBF Latino Network: Familia Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy – Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Racial Justice Pilgrimages

Get Involved Voting Rights

– Vote Riders – Center for Common Ground

Sojourners BJC Center for Faith and Justice and Reconciliation Fellowship Southwest Together for Hope Racial Equity Institute Equal Justice Initiative

– 25 –

MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2024

Righteousness and Justice

“The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.” – Psalm 103:6, NLT

On July 8, 2023, marine researchers witnessed a phenomenon that human beings had not seen in decades: the birth of a sperm whale. Tracing the whales’ codas, the clicking noises observable to the human ear through technological advances, researchers happened upon what at first sight seemed like a strange scene. A cohort of 11 sperm whales, mammals that typically rise alone or in pairs, were aligned in rows facing the same way. As the calf was born, the row of adult sperm whales lifted the newborn out of the water. Their aligned bodies then served as a platform for the baby whale to rest as it adjusted to breathing. In the newborn whale’s moment of distress, it was lifted so it could breathe. Similarly, in Psalm 103, the psalmist David reminds us that when we are experiencing the suffocating waters of oppression, God will align righteousness and justice on our behalf so that we can breathe. To be clear, oppression and unfair treatment abound in our world. Widening socioeconomic gaps, systematic educational inequities and the refugee crisis, to name a few, take our breath away in the worst way possible. Amid the apathy and inactivity of some in powerful positions, Psalm 103:6 reminds us that God is the subject and predicate of righteousness and justice. In short, it is God who, in the Hebrew, oseh, prepares and produces “righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.” REFLECTION: How might God be preparing and producing righteousness and justice for people through you? May God align our hearts and hands, thoughts and actions, “…until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” Amos 5:24 Fredricc Gerard Brock CBF Pan African Koinonia Steering Committee Lead Pastor and Co-Founder, The Message Church San Antonio, Texas

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TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2024

Leadership in Difficult Times

“I charged your judges at that time: “Give the members of your community a fair hearing, and judge rightly between one person and another, whether citizen or alien. You must not be partial in judging: hear out the small and the great alike; you shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s. Any case that is too hard for you, bring it to me, and I will hear it.”

How important is leadership to any given community? The role of one who judges must be one who possesses specific qualities that separate them from those they have been given charge to lead. With Moses on the final leg of his life at this point and God’s chosen people swelling in numbers past 20,000, Moses knew that he could no longer lead God’s people, even with God’s help. As the community had grown, so had the frequency of disputes and quarrels. Moses had led the Israelites out of Egypt and, more recently, to Mt. Sinai. But they had not yet reached the land promised to their ancestors. In his wisdom, Moses decided to set order and establish protocols to ensure that the community would thrive according to the Lord’s will. The delegation of the wisest and most respected among them would give the community what they needed with efficient, effective and equitable leadership. With the advice that he offered to these new leaders, he gave them the assurance that they need not be concerned with any backlash from those who disagreed with any decision that they would make, because their decision was endorsed by God. REFLECTION: Think and Act Can God trust you to lead God’s people to their place of promise? James Briggs CBF Pan African Koinonia Steering Committee Senior Pastor, Daybreak Metropolitan Church Dallas, Texas

– Deuteronomy 1:16-17, NRSV

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2024

Going Through

A PSALM OF ASAPH “God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: ‘How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.’” – Psalm 82:1-4, NRSV

I think the Psalmist reassures us that God’s reign of justice will come and assures us that we can take God’s promise to the bank. But the chief question when confronting theodicy is—how long? I wonder if while we are going through, it might be helpful to remember that God is a God who can bring us through. Sometimes we encounter hardship that we can’t go under, we can’t go over, we can’t go around—we can only go through. What do you do when you realize you can only go through? How does your relationship with God change when you are going through? Do you draw closer to God or does God feel distant to you in those moments? Do we trust God to take us through? We are familiar with a God of deliverance. We are familiar with a God of salvation. We are familiar with a God who makes a way out of no way. But are we familiar with a God who can take us through? Are we familiar, like Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego, with a God who can be that fourth figure following behind us in the fiery furnace? It’s not that they were saved from being thrown into the fire…it’s that when they were thrown into the fire, God went with them. Are we familiar, like Daniel, with a God who can take away the appetite of ravenous lions while we are in the den? It’s not that he was not thrown into the den…it’s that when he was thrown into the den, God went with him. Are we familiar with Sarah who, during old age and barrenness, gave birth to a baby boy? Are we familiar with a God who, in the face of red-hot racism, water hoses and vicious dogs, still gave our people the courage to sing We Shall Overcome? Are we familiar with a God who can pick us up and turn us around and set our feet on solid ground? REFLECTION: Are you familiar with a God who can take you through? Co’Relous C. Bryant Senior Pastor, United Church Lincoln,Vermont

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THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2024

The Platinum Rule

“Learn to do good; seek justice; rescue the oppressed; defend the orphan; plead for the widow.” – Isaiah 1:17, NRSV

Over and over, we hear these calls to live out of love echoing in scripture, calling us to do good, seek justice and end oppression. From the books of law to the prophets and the Gospels, the Word proclaims our call not simply to do good, but to learn to do good. In this passage, Isaiah reminds us that we often don’t know how to do what’s right until we learn. It takes some effort on our part to act in a way that reflects real love. Consider the Golden Rule, which we find in the Gospel according to Matthew. We know that we should treat others the way we want to be treated; but sometimes that effort falls short. If we offer someone what we might want (like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich after school) without talking to them first (and finding out that they have a peanut allergy), we might end up doing more harm than good. Instead, we can try to adopt the Platinum Rule, and treat others the way they would like to be treated. Rather than assuming (and a PB&J), we can have a conversation with someone about their wants and needs. So, what is required to rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan and plead for the widow? We won’t know until we ask. It takes the work of having conversations and building relationships for us to learn to do good. That kind of work changes us as we talk to people about their needs, and we begin to see the world from other perspectives. With hearts and minds opened by love, we can act motivated by the reflection of love in each of us —the image of God in which we are created. REFLECTION: What could the Platinum Rule look like in action? How can you learn to do good in your community? Spencer Law Andover Newton Seminary, Yale Divinity School Richmond,Virginia

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FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 2024

Intentional Service that Heals

“But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it — not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it — they will be blessed in what they do.” – James 1:25-27, NIV

During Lent, most of us think about giving up television, sweets and so forth; but we never really give any thought to what we get out of Lent. Many will celebrate weight loss being accomplished after six weeks of fasting, but that shouldn’t be all we get out of this time before Resurrection Sunday. Maybe we are supposed to get a sense of direction during this time. Perhaps we are invited to gain a better understanding of what it means to walk as a disciple of Christ, sharing our lives as a reflection of God’s grace among the world. The Lenten season invites us to take a journey with Christ to experience the transforming power of love through searching and sacrificing. This season invites us to search our hearts to realize and resolve the places of anger, fear, disgust, sadness, pride and unforgiveness. These traits divide our loyalties, blind our ability to see others through the lens of empathy and numb our existence into apathetic cynicism. This season also invites us to sacrifice in order to see the truth of God’s love and respond. In the Epistle of James, we find an invitation to sit with God’s perfect law, which is love; to see God’s love as the glue that will bring us and hold us together. God’s love is good, but it must be matched and accompanied by intentional service that begins to mend the brokenness within us personally, in order to experience healing collectively. As you search and sacrifice this Lenten season, may you discover the love of God in your own lives—a love big enough to redeem us from the fragmented shards of our hearts; a love that is strong enough to uplift, build and restore relationships, and rich enough to continue in it with justice for us all. PRAYER: Lead me; guide me along the way of love. Lord, lead me in a perfected love that is committed to justice for all. Amen. Charlton L. Johnson I Together for Hope, Regional Vice President for Delta For the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Pearl, Mississippi

TRANSFORMING RURAL AMERICA: Together for Hope is a rural development coalition engaging the 301 counties of persistent rural poverty in America. Within these communities, Together for Hope holistically fights poverty focusing on four priorities of hope: Education, Health & Nutrition, Housing & Environment, and Social Enterprise. Learn more at https://tfhope.org.

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Justice

Note

SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2024

Compassionate Strength

“They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man. ‘I was cupbearer to the king.’” – Nehemiah 1:10-11, NIV

In Neh. 1:10–11, we see that Nehemiah is praying for those who survived the exile and how, at that very moment, they were also going through a difficult time in their own province, Jerusalem. In this prayer, Nehemiah shows us a great example of how to show love and care for our neighbors. He laments them and their situation, takes his grief towards them and presents it as a prayer to the Lord, who is our provider and protector of all. We as brothers and sisters in faith should also show the same mercy, compassion, care and worry for those around us in our community. To be compassionate or vulnerable with one another is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength and unity. Let’s pray and be there for one another in times of joy and celebration, but also in times of grief and difficulties, so we can uplift each other and let it be known that we are not alone. So, the question to ponder is, how will you show your neighbors/those around you that they are loved too? Here are a few biblical principles for effective intercessory prayer. We should:

Pray for others from the heart, with deep feeling and sincerity.

Pray for others regularly.

Pray for others in detail.

Pray for others with faith, knowing that God has all power and loves the people we are praying for.

Pray for others with love.

Pray for others fervently—with intensity, zeal and passion.

Pray for others with a desire to help where we can.

Pray for others while occasionally fasting. Intercessory Prayer: How to Pray for Others by Mike Bennett

Genesis Tejada CBF Student.Go Alumna New London, Connecticut

– 31 –

SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2024

SCAN THE QR CODE to listen to the Lenten 2024 playlist at www.cbf.net/playlist.

Sundays for

Reflection

EACH WEEK DURING LENT, Sunday provides a space to reflect, to journal, to challenge yourself to see your community and the world in a new light. A space to create and a space for justice work.

Journaling Prompts: 1. What has stood out to you so far during your devotional time?

2. Write a prayer to God about your concerns.

– 32 –

SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2024

RESOURCES

Books, Articles & Podcasts Books on Race and Reconciliation

More Links Dr. Emmanuel McCall Racial Justice and Leadership Initiative CBF Latino Network: Familia Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy – Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Racial Justice Pilgrimages

Get Involved Voting Rights

– Vote Riders – Center for Common Ground

Sojourners BJC Center for Faith and Justice and Reconciliation Fellowship Southwest Together for Hope Racial Equity Institute Equal Justice Initiative

– 33 –

MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2024

How Do I Love My Neighbor?

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.” – Matthew 25:35, NIV

Jesus is clear in Matthew 25:35 that he takes our treatment of others personally. What we do or don’t do for others in need is what we do or don’t do unto Jesus. How we treat others says more about our relationship with God than our words or feelings say. Serving others does not extend only to those who are like us culturally, politically or even religiously. It extends to those who are different from us, even those we may consider our enemies. The Good Samaritan parable and Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 remind us that our neighbor is anyone we see in need, no matter our differences or political views. We live in a divided and polarized world today. Fears and misinformation run rampant. The signs Jesus spoke of as evidence of the last days before his return can be seen worldwide. These realities can cause us to close our hearts to others. But Jesus calls us to be people proclaiming the Good News and acting as Good Samaritans, demonstrating God’s goodness and love in action. How do I love my neighbor? We love our neighbors as Jesus loved us: sacrificially, generously and with compassionate action. For God so loved the world, he gave! And when he gave, he gave his only, his all, his best to meet our deepest and greatest need even while we were still sinners. He didn’t give in a limited, grudging, afterthought way. And neither should we. PRAYER: Jesus, help me, teach me to love my neighbor as you have loved me. It is impossible to serve God if we don’t serve others. Amen. Carlos Navarro Pastor, Iglesia Bautista West Brownsville Brownsville, Texas

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TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2024

What are you giving the world?

“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” – 1 John 3:17, NIV

The operation of the world is marked by a balance of giving and receiving. Labor is given and money is received. Dedication is given and growth is received. Effort is given and new possibilities are received. The balance of giving and receiving is a harmony that scripture sings as well. Forgiveness is given and freedom is received. Mercy is given and mercy is received. We know what happens in the world and in God’s Word. But what is happening in our own lives? As we love God, we love, acknowledge and respect all of God’s creation, including all of humanity. The love of God being demonstrated in our lives includes what we do with what we call ours. The verse references tangible items, but the sentiment extends to the intangible as well—like our time. It is difficult to prescribe one way of giving; but still God is calling us to be people with hands that bless. We receive, not holding tightly to what we have, but rather recognizing need and listening to God’s pressing call. God sees people and is moved to compassionate action. We are not excluded from doing the same. PRAYER: God, who is our help, we give you thanks for the ways you have sustained us. Cause our eyes to be aware of our neighbors and their needs. As we discern what to give and what to keep, give us hearts that long to demonstrate your love through care of those around us. Make us more like you. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Jessalyn Brown George W. Truett Theological Seminary Student Waco, Texas

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2024

Live Out the Love

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

“Faith without works is dead.” We’ve heard these words so often that we’re no longer moved by them. How can we purport to have faith when we stand by and watch our brothers and sisters in Christ, all God’s children, suffer from the lack of basic daily necessities? Are we to believe that affirmations will achieve the ends of an all-powerful God? Surely those of us who are called by the name “Christian” cannot presume that mere words are sufficient to show forth the love of Jesus. You see, our faith is in an extravagantly generous God who loved the world so much that the only begotten Son was given to meet all of our needs. In obedience, the only begotten Son came and ultimately gave His life in the expression of that same love. Modeling our lives on Jesus’ inaugural address (Luke 4:16-19) compels us to turn his prophetic words into lived reality. Through the love and the power of the Holy Spirit, let us proclaim and practice good news to the poor, pardon for the prisoners, sight for the blind, and freedom for the oppressed as good gifts, demonstrations of God’s generosity. It has been said that neglect of the poor is inconsistent with the royal law of love that Christ proclaimed. Therefore, during this Lenten season, as we ponder this text and reflect on the generosity of God, let us exemplify Jesus’ good works in our daily lives by faith and love in action. REFLECTION: What does the good news look like to the poor, the imprisoned, the blind and the oppressed impacted by my life and ministry? Cheryl Moore Adamson Pastor, Palmetto Missionary Baptist Church Conway, South Carolina

– James 2:14-17, NIV

Justice

Note

Source: New York University Public Safety Lab, “Jail Data Initiative” (2020–2022).

– 36 –

THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2024

Taking Time to See

“Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever. He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry.”

It’s Sunday morning. I walk into the church and offer a few quick greetings, “Good morning, God bless you.” Service starts. I pray; I sing; I raise a praise of thanksgiving; I listen to the sermon brought forth from my pastor; I pray some more. Time to head out. I engage in small talk with a few people and step out of the church to continue my Sunday. Upon reflecting, I can see how many opportunities I have missed on those many Sundays to get to know the people with whom I worship every week. “To know me, is to love me.” Have you heard this quote? In Psalm 146:3-7, I sense that David had a strong hope in God, because he felt seen and known by Him. Because of this, he had a deep understanding that God would proceed to take up his cause, the cause of the oppressed—the abused, the exploited and those in the margins in his community. I sense that David had seen and known the needs of his community too because of God’s love for him. I believe that God can only do this for me because God sees me and knows me. God’s love for us, compels God to not look away from us, or quickly pass us by. God intentionally enters our circumstance to love us and to take up the cause of justice and fairness for God’s beloved. REFLECTION: How might I follow in the way of our loving God, to know and see the people in my community? Jessica Hill Church of the City New London, Connecticut

– Psalm 146:3-7, NLT

– 37 –

FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2024

How Much Is Enough?

“The Lord said, ‘I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.’”

Misery. Suffering. Oppression. These three words too often summarize the lived experiences of marginalized people in the United States. For many, this passage of scripture focuses on the liberation of the Israelites from Egypt. Yet if we take a closer look, it also highlights the challenges of living in a pluralistic society. The coexistence of these diverse groups with different beliefs, cultures, ideologies, financial resources and political influences became a complicated narrative for the Israelites due to power and privilege exercised by the ruling class. According to the text, the promise of a better life was within their reach; but the Egyptians were strategic in their efforts to undermine the Israelites value in belonging to the larger community. The concerns of the Israelites are not far from what we see happening in modern times. In the 21st century, people of color, religious minorities, nonreligious individuals and anyone who does not fit white Christian heteronormative standards of what it means to be human continue to experience oppression at various levels. These issues have manifested themselves in the public square with Christian nationalism on the rise. (A political ideology that suggests what it means to be American is to profess certain Christian beliefs and uphold patriotism.) The dangers of Christian nationalism have resulted in deliberate attacks on voting rights and public education. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, in 2022, there were 2,500 books banned across the country because they covered “controversial” topics on race, gender, sexuality or LGBTQ+ people. This year, 45 states introduced 322 voter restriction bills that mostly impacted BIPOC groups, disabled individuals, the elderly, college students and unhoused populations. This is a threat to democracy and liberation. People of faith have a responsibility to act. REFLECTION: How will you use your moral agency to address Christian nationalism and diminish religious privilege for all humans to thrive? Sabrina E. Dent Director of the Baptist Joint Committee Center for Faith, Justice and Reconciliation Washington, D.C.

– Exodus 3:7-10a, NIV

– 38 –

SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 2024

John Petts: The Wales Window for Alabama John Petts (1914-1991) was born in London, England, but is considered a Welsh artist because he moved to Wales when he was 21 and remained there for the rest of his life. He is especially known for his engravings and stained-glass works. In September 1963, Petts was listening to the radio when he heard about a horrific event that had occurred at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. A splinter group of the Klu Klux Klan had planted 15 sticks of dynamite in the church and the explosion caused the death of four young African-American girls, ages 11 to 14, and severely injured 20 others. Amongst the other damage to the church itself, a stained-glass window depicting Jesus was blown out. “Naturally as a father I was horrified by the death of the children,” said Petts. “As a craftsman... I was horrified at the smashing of all those windows, and I thought to myself: my word, what can we do about this?” As Petts considered his mission, he conceived of a highly original design featuring a Black Christ in a crucified position against an abstract cross shape. The body slants to the right in a pose that some have suggested hints at bodies bent from the blast of the water cannons that were used against demonstrators in the Civil Rights marches earlier in 1963. The huge hands which are both larger than Christ’s head are a most powerful element in the design. Petts’ own explanation was that the right hand presses against the frame, pushing out hatred and injustice, while the open left hand reaches out with the offer of forgiveness. While the image of the crucified Christ is a graphic one, the brilliance of the dominant blue and purple coloring conveys a sense of peace and hope. The rainbow above Christ’s head reminds us of God’s promises and is also a symbol of racial reconciliation. The text that Petts chose for the window was from Matt. 25:40, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” But it is just the words “you did it to me” that feature in the window. Perhaps this conveys a double meaning. Firstly, Jesus identifies and says, “You did it to me” to the white racists who murdered those girls. Secondly, he says the same words to the people of Wales for their act of compassion and reconciliation. The window was completed in 1964 and then installed and dedicated in 1965. It soon became an iconic image in connection with the Civil Rights Movement. It is still today a timely reminder in a time of continuing racial tension of the power of the “art of reconciliation” to bring healing. REFLECTION: Where in your life are you pushing out hatred and injustice, and reaching out with the offer of forgiveness?

John Petts: The Wales Window for Alabama, 1964, stained-glass window, 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham Alabama ArtWay Visual Meditation August 1, 2021. Photograph by Wendy McFadden.

– 39 –

SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2024

SCAN THE QR CODE to listen to the Lenten 2024 playlist at www.cbf.net/playlist.

Sundays for

Reflection

EACH WEEK DURING LENT, Sunday provides a space to reflect, to journal, to challenge yourself to see your community and the world in a new light. A space to create and a space for justice work.

Journaling Prompts: 1. What has stood out to you so far during your devotional time?

2. Write a prayer to God about your concerns.

– 40 –

SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2024

RESOURCES

Books, Articles & Podcasts Books on Race and Reconciliation

More Links Dr. Emmanuel McCall Racial Justice and Leadership Initiative CBF Latino Network: Familia Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy – Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Racial Justice Pilgrimages

Get Involved Voting Rights

– Vote Riders – Center for Common Ground

Sojourners BJC Center for Faith and Justice and Reconciliation Fellowship Southwest Together for Hope Racial Equity Institute Equal Justice Initiative

– 41 –

MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2024

Inclusive Love

“When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

The story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) offers a great example of the way Jesus not only welcomed people but invited them to follow him. Zacchaeus had a strong desire to be with Jesus. However, there were multiple barriers standing in his way: his stature, the large crowd and the shame of his profession as a vulgar tax collector. However, Jesus saw Zacchaeus and called him by his name; but he went further by asking Zacchaeus to welcome Jesus into his house. This would have been considered extravagant in the culture of the time and by today’s status quo, Jesus should not associate with Zacchaeus, much less stay in his house. This phenomenal inclusion provided a path for Zacchaeus to receive the grace of Jesus. Jesus genuinely loved and included Zacchaeus in his community, just as he did the Samaritan woman, the Syrophoenician woman, the demon-possessed Gadarene and many others who were considered outcasts. Everyone was invited and included. Jesus invited Zacchaeus to mutual hospitality. Jesus did not ask Zacchaeus to stop being a tax collector or to change his customs before receiving him. However, in response, Zacchaeus gave even more than Jesus asked. Think about everything Jesus did to include people in his world. How can we duplicate what Jesus modeled? This inclusion paves the way for those who feel pushed out and neglected to experience a true sense of belonging. This is the effect of inclusion with equality and equity in action. In the end, we will best build a beloved community if we love as Jesus loved us. We are called not to comfortable love but to cruciform love: love in the shape of a cross. PRAYER: Lord, help me to love like Jesus. Amen. Daniel Sostaita Pastor, Iglesia Cristiana Sin Fronteras Winston Salem, North Carolina

– Luke 19:5-8, NIV

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TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2024

Watch Out!

“Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” – Luke 12:15, NIV

A person raised his voice in the middle of a crowd and asked Jesus to please help him resolve a conflict he had with his brother, with whom he had to share an inheritance. They had not been able to reach a cordial agreement so he looked to Jesus as an “effective intermediary of his greed.” Jesus answered the brother immediately, as he did with anyone asking for help. It was not to solve his economic matter, but to call attention to his public greed. He warned him and the crowd to refrain from greed, because a person’s life does not depend on the abundance of goods. He immediately related a parable to reinforce his teaching. The miser in Jesus’ story deluded himself into believing that life depended on the portion of the material inheritance that he wanted. He turned his brother into a financial adversary rather than his brother. And especially, he deceived himself by making Jesus a divider of material inheritances rather than a teacher. No wonder Jesus told him that no one had appointed him as judge and divider (Luke 12:14). Love changes us, while greed corrupts relationships. It is a perversion of faith, transforming it into a means to achieve the ends of selfishness. The message of Jesus invites us to live in the freedom of love, to respect relationships, to learn to resolve conflicts with peace and to reflect his love in the material circumstances of everyday. PRAYER: Lord, in our world full of greed and injustice, teach us to always be followers of your love and to reflect it in the material circumstances of each day. Where there is greed, let us sow solidarity, and where there is selfishness, grant us the strength to resist this temptation. Turn our hearts towards your ways and not towards greedy or selfish gains. In Christ’s name, Amen. Harold Segura Director of Faith & Development for World Vision Latin America & Caribbean

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2024

Givers And Takers

“A person who gets ahead by oppressing the poor or by showering gifts on the rich will end in poverty.” – Proverbs 22:16, NLT

As you look across the expansive history of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) people, you can’t help but read, feel and think of these people who sacrificed throughout history. In a time in our country when the rich are getting richer, the middle class is becoming more marginalized and the poor aren’t progressing, it makes one think, “What does it mean to be a giver and a taker?” As we reflect on Proverbs 22, verse 16, the person who gains from oppression, takes from those with less or offers gifts to the rich will end in deficit. We must ask the question, “Do my actions reflect the love and kindness of God, or do they leave God’s greatest creation—each other—in need?” At the end of the day, God has called us to sacrifice and not harm others. PRAYER: Dear God, show me the areas in my life and my heart where I am a giver and a taker to the detriment of self and others. Show me godly balance so that I do not harm people. Thank you, God, for showing me new ways to edify your people and embody your love for humanity. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Kan’Dace L. Brock Lead Pastor and Co-Founder, The Message Church San Antonio, TX

Justice

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on the following page

Continued on the following page

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2024, cont’d

U.S. Department of the Treasury Racial Differences in Economic Security: The Racial Wealth Gap RACIAL WEALTH GAPS TODAY AND OVER TIME The fundamental importance of wealth for economic security and general wellbeing makes the large disparities in wealth by race a serious concern for the economic health of families and the U.S. economy as a whole. Using data from the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis find that the median white family had $184,000 in wealth in 2019 compared to just $38,000 and $23,000 for the median Hispanic and Black families, respectively (see Figure 1). Moreover, their analysis shows that the median wealth gap between white and Black families has hardly changed over the last 20 years. Meanwhile, the gap between white and Hispanic families has improved slightly, but it remains large.[7]

Justice

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Notes: Figure shows median family net worth by race. The “other” category contains Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaska Native, and multi-race households. Source: Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, 2019

Several key contributors to the racial wealth gap are racial differences in home equity, financial assets, and income, all of which are necessary for economic security in their own right and because they facilitate the accumulation of wealth over time. In addition to differences in asset values and composition, differences in the amount and type of debt held by households contribute to racial disparities in economic security. In particular, the number of households with zero or negative net worth—debts that equal or exceed the value of assets—is large and varies by race and ethnicity. In 2016, nearly 20% of Black families had zero or negative net worth compared to 9% of white, 13% of Hispanic and 14% of other race families.

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THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2024

When Love Is Hard

“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” – Isaiah 30:18, NIV

Ronald Fairbairn is known as the father of object relations theory, whose notion that one’s primal desire is the need to be in relationship. The model’s structure is based on one’s relationship with others. But how does one love others when society makes love of self so hard? If this is a human primal desire and need, then how do we take this task seriously and live into this need fully, when love can be hard? How do we love when society has made the core task of love being embodied, a radical subversive act of resistance? How can I love the other when I struggle to fully love myself as God loves me, because everywhere I turn stereotypes and sexism and racism intersect to tell me I am unlovable just as I am? JOIN ME IN PRAYER: God, give us grace when we are too skinny, yet too fat, too muscular yet not toned enough, not knowing whose standards or ideals we are to live up to. What are your standards, God? Love is hard when I try to co-opt myself to fit a man-made box of social constructs. Loving is an act of resistance and justice for us. God, I pray for the women who have ever been at war with their bodies because they were told that their body was a source of sin, shame and unworthy of love. Too much of this, not enough of that. Send us love, transformational love, sacrificial love, embodied love and safe love. May we all grow in love this season, first in love of self, then in the love of the Other. God, we have waited long enough; show us your grace, compassion and justice embodied in love here on Earth. Ansia Chahoy CBF-Endorsed Chaplain New Jersey

In 2021, the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black (subsequently, Black) women was 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, 2.6 times the rate for non-Hispanic White (subsequently, White) women (26.6). Rates for Black women were significantly higher than rates for White and Hispanic women. The increases from 2020 to 2021 for all race and Hispanic-origin groups were significant (Centers for Disease Control).

Justice

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John Hopkins reports: CDC data show that Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women, with most of the maternal deaths being preventable. This heightened risk spans all income and education levels. According to the study from the National Bureau of Economic Research, the wealthiest Black woman in California is at a higher risk of maternal mortality than the least wealthy white woman. Amid a national reckoning with the systemic racism underpinning American society and health care, advocates are pushing forward solutions from multiple angles, including reforming policy, health systems and medical education, and bolstering community-based organizations that advocate for better care and resources for Black moms. Find the full article here.

– 46 –

FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2024

Are you a reflection of God’s love? Does love change me? “He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” – Luke 1:52-53, NIV

Luke 1:52-53 is a continuation of Mary’s song after her visit with Elizabeth and after she conceived Jesus through the power of God’s Spirit. Mary puts forth a beautiful song illustrating God’s power, grace and love. Mary states, “He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” She shows that she recognized God’s action and sees that love has the power to change and transform an individual. My question is: How is God’s love seen in us? The current social climate in America is an unhealthy atmosphere of degradation instead of one in which we empower and lift others to reach their God-given potential. People are judged and humanity is reduced based on ethnicity, color, political parties, social location and so on. I would pose this question: How is God’s love reflected in us—to the oppressed, incarcerated, unhoused and the impoverished? Am I a reflection of God’s love or am I a reflection of legalistic religion and oppression? God’s love is witnessed when we feed hungry people, become voices for the working poor, speak against the divisions in our local, state and national politics and demonstrate that there is hope in Jesus because His love is reflected in us. Let’s be the living example of Christ’s love. PRAYER: Gracious God, allow us to reflect your love representing Jesus Christ. Let us experience your transformative power and position us to embrace your change in us. Guide us to be effective witnesses to the congregation and community, so that they see your spirit reflected in us. Humble us to operate in your spirit and not with pride and carnality. Amen Wayne M. Weathers Senior Pastor,Vision of Hope Baptist Professor, Lutheran Theological Seminary Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

– 47 –

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2024

Bombed Out Jesus

Photo courtesy of Birmingham, Ala. Public Library Archives.

When the bomb blew up the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, it blew out portions of this window. The people claimed that it blew out the face and heart of Christ because he couldn’t stand to see the death and destruction that racial hatred had caused. REFLECTION: How are you working to repair the destruction of racial hatred and violence?

– 48 –

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2024

SCAN THE QR CODE to listen to the Lenten 2024 playlist at www.cbf.net/playlist.

Sundays for

Reflection

EACH WEEK DURING LENT, Sunday provides a space to reflect, to journal, to challenge yourself to see your community and the world in a new light. A space to create and a space for justice work.

Journaling Prompts: 1. What has stood out to you so far during your devotional time?

2. Write a prayer to God about your concerns.

– 49 –

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2024

RESOURCES

Books, Articles & Podcasts Books on Race and Reconciliation

More Links Dr. Emmanuel McCall Racial Justice and Leadership Initiative CBF Latino Network: Familia Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy – Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Racial Justice Pilgrimages

Get Involved Voting Rights

– Vote Riders – Center for Common Ground

Sojourners BJC Center for Faith and Justice and Reconciliation Fellowship Southwest Together for Hope Racial Equity Institute Equal Justice Initiative

– 50 –

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2024

Work in the midst of waiting “I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” – Psalms 27:13-14, NRSV

We live in a world where we are constantly waiting and it is often hard. When we wait, there is frequently an unknown, something we are waiting to learn or hear. We might have to wait for the phone to ring about a promotion. Or maybe we wait anxiously for the doctor to give medical results. Or maybe we might be waiting for justice to happen. Waiting on the Lord can be one of those hard times. We might be waiting for an answer, discernment or a prayer. We might be excited, worried, anxious or all of the above. Waiting takes time. And it’s difficult. Waiting is inevitable but it does not have to be passive. So, what do we do in the meantime? This psalmist tells us to “be strong, and let your heart take courage.” We are told to not quit and to be courageous. We can do something while we are waiting. We can live our lives with hope and trust. We can fight for justice. We can love our neighbors. REFLECTION: In this time of waiting for the Lord’s resurrection at Easter, how will you be strong and how will you let your heart take courage? What action steps can you take during this time of waiting? Lane Riley Associate Coordinator Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of South Carolina Greenwood, South Carolina

The Constitution does not guarantee the right to vote; voting conditions are up to individual states. (Southern Poverty Law Center) 36 states have voter ID laws, requiring some form of government-issued identification at the polls. (National Conference of State Legislatures) Approximately 11% of Americans lack a government-issued photo ID, even though they are registered to vote. (The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University)

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Expenses incurred by obtaining the needed documentation, include traveling and waiting at government offices and can range from $175 to $1,500, when factoring in the legal fees related to obtaining vital records such as birth certificates and naturalization papers. These costs are much more than the $1.50 poll tax outlawed by the 24th Amendment because of its unfairness to the poor and minorities.(The Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race & Justice at the Harvard Law School) An estimated 19 million potential voters do not possess either a driver’s license or a state issued ID. (The CarterFord Commission) Around 4 million U.S. citizens living in Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico are not allowed to vote for president unless they move to the mainland.(U.S. Census Bureau) Disenfranchisement & Race: A recent study found that strict voter ID laws significantly increased the turnout gap between white voters and Latinx, African-American and multiracial voters. (Southern Poverty Law Center)

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TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2024

Redemptive Community

“If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.”

If I can interpret this passage with integrity, I struggle to get past the first few words. If the restoration of paths depends on my ability to stop pointing fingers and speaking evil of others, we may have to get used to potholes. In the face of ageless needs, Isaiah calls for words and deeds that are equal parts prophetic and decent. Even today, the importance of Isaiah’s words seems self-evident, these timeless themes shared with Jesus’ message hundreds of years later. They echo the Hebrew scriptures’ advocacy for a society that is just. What are the hallmarks of such a culture? Again and again, dozens of times, the great witness of the Old Testament calls for a just society to care for the most vulnerable among you, specifically persons who are widows, orphans, immigrants, poor and presumably others who are oppressed. Sixty years ago next March, volunteers from across the United States responded to a call by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to march in Selma, Alabama. The location was selected in part because of a sheriff who was notorious for excessive force. King believed they could mark a sharp contrast between cruelty and decency in such a location. John Lewis and others had already led an initial march that resulted in the “Bloody Sunday” beatings at Pettus Bridge. Lewis, the primary trainer of the marchers, had studied the concepts of nonviolence and mutual respect with James Lawson at Vanderbilt Divinity School. Lawson made the phrase “redemptive community” famous as he sought to keep civility in the Civil Rights Movement, because he dared to believe that the love of Christ does bring about change. REFLECTION: How can you express yourself without sacrificing redemptive community? Even if you are clearly right and the other is demonstrably wrong, how can you wear the yoke of Christ, refuse to point the finger of intolerance and reject words of wickedness from your mouth? PRAYER: Loving God, if we view our current world through the interpretive lens of the Hebrew Scriptures, we must consider whether our present society can be called just. Please help me to hear Isaiah’s call and respond with the compassion of Jesus. Please help me to take the yoke of Christ in caring for persons who are widows, orphans, immigrants, poor or vulnerable in other ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Alan Redditt Senior Pastor, St. Matthews Baptist Church Louisville, Kentucky CBF Governing Board

– Isaiah 58: 9b-12, NRSV

– 52 –

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2024

Never stop asking why

“Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.” – Ezekiel 16:49-50, NIV

“Never Stop Asking Why” is the message that adorns the walls of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. One part of the museum demonstrates the United States’ response to Jewish refugees. As I read and listened to the interactive pieces of artifacts during a visit in March 2018, I had difficulty recognizing what century I was in. It was surreal. I heard and read the same xenophobic rhetoric, witnessed the same legislative battles, and listened to the same exact reasons why we should not help more refugees. Today, thousands of families continually flee their countries for safety in the U.S. Nevertheless, our response has not changed. In Ezekiel 16:49-50, we observe the prophet Ezekiel comparing the sins of the city of Sodom to the actions and behavior of the people of Jerusalem. Jerusalem “stopped asking why” and imitated Sodom’s wickedness. Ezekiel is using the example of Sodom to warn the people of Jerusalem about the consequences of their own sinful behavior: arrogance, overindulgence, lack of concern for those in need, self-centeredness and other detestable things. In contrast to this scripture in Ezekiel, Colossians 3 gives us a list of virtues in which we should clothe ourselves: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience and, above all, love. One of my pastors provided the best definition of love I have ever heard: “Love is to do what is right.” Jesus calls on us to do what is right and just for our neighbors, regardless of their origins. During this Lenten season, may we never stop asking why. May we never forget the lessons of the Holocaust and our inaction. More lives can be saved today. We must first repent of our racism, biases, selfishness, arrogance, gluttonous lifestyles and scarcity thinking and then seek to be more compassionate, kind, humble, generous and loving. Anyra Cano Programs and Outreach Director, Fellowship Southwest Fort Worth, Texas

The United States Holocaust Memorial and Museum is a resource to help us ask hard questions. Learn more here.

– 53 –

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2024

Breathe

“But don’t let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers—why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother’s milk! There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.”

On July 17, 2014, a 43-year-old African American man, Eric Garner, was killed in the New York City borough of Staten Island on suspicion of selling single cigarettes from packs. A confrontation ensued with Garner and a police officer, Daniel Pantaleo. II Timothy 3:16 – 17 reminds us that the Word of God is the Godbreathed scripture showing us the truth of agape love, confronting both our individual frailties and exposing social injustices in society. We must inhale the breath of love and compassion. We exhale the breath of racism and white supremacy. God has no racial hierarchy. God sees each of us through the lens of love. The Word of God compels us to dismantle historic and contemporary racist policies, systems and structures of racism. God’s love conquers all. We are reminded of Eric Garner’s repeating of “ I CAN’T BREATHE” 11 times. Our nation continues to be in a racial and social crisis. Crisis is an opportunity for the Almighty God to show forth God’s power and love through each of us. PRAYER: Lord, enable us to breathe in your Spirit-filled presence and power in our lives. Let your breathed Word expose and uproot the hate in our hearts and let us work with marginalized and oppressed communities to BREATHE again. Selena Webster-Bass Voices Institute Jacksonville, Florida

– II Timothy 3:16-17 The Message

– 54 –

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2024

For Such a Time as This

“Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, ‘Do not think that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.’” – Esther 4:13-14, NRSV

“For just such a time as this” is a phrase often quoted in church. It is meant to be an affirmation and confirmation. Perhaps in God’s divine plan and timing you are right where you need to be. You are called to help fulfill God’s purposes in this unique time and place. Maybe it should elicit more fear and trembling than confidence; however, for Esther it was a challenge to live up to. It followed an admonition to speak up and be an advocate. By speaking up, she saved her people—but it was not without risk. She used her position of privilege to speak truth to power. She was a good steward of her political influence. We’re living in turbulent times. Partisanship and division fracture our communities, families and yes, even our churches. The pace of news and social media often pressure folks to make statements about every issue, instance and tragedy. It is tempting to stay silent and out of the fray. Speaking up for racial justice always carries risk. The stakes are high. Privilege and power work to maintain the status quo. Friends, family members and coworkers not attuned to the fight for justice can react in anger. We might even alienate ourselves by speaking out. Prophetic voices, the Esthers of our day, are a threat to structures that profit at the expense of others. When our neighbors whom we are called to love are threatened, our love must speak up. The struggle for racial justice always needs more voices. “For if you keep silent at such a time as this…” should be a word for us in our day. Esther’s fear of speaking up to the king and her temptation to stay silent earned Mordecai’s rebuke and warning. How will your voice be part of God’s work for justice in this time? PRAYER: God of justice, help us understand our calling for this time. Your prophet Micah reminds us that we’re required to do justice. Grant us the wisdom to know how. Help us discern when to speak out and fill us with the courage to do so for we know you will be with us. In the liberating name of Jesus we pray, Amen. Stephen K. Reeves Executive Director, Fellowship Southwest Dripping Springs, Texas

– 55 –

SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2024

RESOURCES

Books, Articles & Podcasts Books on Race and Reconciliation

More Links Dr. Emmanuel McCall Racial Justice and Leadership Initiative CBF Latino Network: Familia Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy – Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Racial Justice Pilgrimages

Get Involved Voting Rights

– Vote Riders – Center for Common Ground

Sojourners BJC Center for Faith and Justice and Reconciliation Fellowship Southwest Together for Hope Racial Equity Institute Equal Justice Initiative

– 56 –