2017
“Third Way of Jesus”
Matthew 5:38-48
“38 You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40 and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41 and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42 Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.”
Buried deep in the Sermon on the Mount, which we’ll be reading in detail this Epiphany season, is this admonition to creative resistance to the powers that be. While this passage can be read as a directive to passivity, Walter Wink offers a powerful interpretation of this passage which frames this text as a “third way” of creatively transforming violent and unjust situations.
In our ministry at the University of Minnesota, we are committed to standing with those on the margins of the campus, and the larger community. The students hold deep theoretical commitments about why this matters, and sometimes even what should be done about it.
And still, it’s sometimes hard to figure out what to actually do about our deeply held convictions, grounded in faith, that God shows up on the margins, and that we’re called to love and look out for our neighbor.
So, during Lent this year, we’re going to be offering a four part series that fleshes out this “Third Way of Jesus” that Walter Wink talks about, offering concrete tools to put those values and faith in action. We’ll be gathering at 7:30, on Wednesday nights, at Grace University Lutheran Church:
- To learn what it means to intervene as a bystander…
- How to participate in basic advocacy…
- How to have conversations across lines of difference and…
- How art and spoken word function as a tool of both resilience and resistance…
We’re so excited about this that we’re opening it up to the broader community, and are hoping for an intergenerational community of people to emerge, committed to supporting one another and working to make the world a better place – in dorm rooms, board rooms, and everywhere in between.
Keep your eyes out for Facebook invitations, or check our website for details as they emerge. We’d love to have you as a part of this conversation!
2017
Change & Uncertainty…
College is time of change and uncertainty. We’ve reached a fork in the road, and the number of paths forward are endless. We’re making decisions that will affect the rest of our lives, and it can often feel like we’re making them alone. I find myself wondering where these choices are leading me. Have I even made the right choices?
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” –Joshua 1:9
God commands us to have courage. Through courage we are living out our faith and trust that we have in God. We can find this courage through God’s Word and promise that He will always be with us. We may not know where our path is going, but we can trust that wherever it goes, God’s hand is leading us. God has called us to ventures where we cannot see the end; it is our responsibility to listen to His call and trust that God is with us.
I hope that whenever you are uncertain about what’s coming next that God’s Word can be a comfort to you like it has been to me. Trust that God is leading you where He wants you to go and have courage to life out the life God has called for you.
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” –1 Corinthians 15:58
-Michael Lee, LCM Servant Leader