Blowin’ In The Wind

Recently I picked up my guitar again after a long absence.  I found an old songbook and started playing some of the songs of my “youth.”  One of the songs was a famous song by the epic songwriter and performer, Bob Dylan, titled, “Blowin’ in the Wind.”  If you are anywhere near my age, you will remember the popularity of that song, especially so in the early 60’s.  The song was a classic protest song of that era, lifting up questions about peace, justice, violence, and freedom.  I can vividly recall pounding out the chords on my guitar as we all sang, “The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind.”  Wow!  How time flies!  

Yet, the song still seems so relevant today.  Here we are in the past weeks appalled by such events as the horrible killings at three spas in Atlanta, primarily against Asian women, at a local grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, and most recently at a high school in Knoxville, Tennessee.  Add to that, then, the racial injustice we are confronting today following upon the senseless deaths of Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and most recently 20-year-old Daunte Wright who was killed Sunday during a traffic stop in the Minneapolis area, along with so tragically many other of our Black brothers and sisters. Well, it is just too much!  So what is the answer?

Honestly, I don’t have an answer, at least not an easy one.  But this I do know. From a faith perspective, we, you and I, are charged with the responsibility to affirm, actively love, and care for all people….all types, colors, classes, ages, nationalities, religious and political viewpoints, genders, and so on, both near and far.  

You see, the Bible is very clear about this.  All humankind is created with dignity, value and worth.  All humankind is welcomed into the sphere of God’s love and care.  God calls upon all of us, we who are the human extensions of God’s limitless love and grace, to work toward freedom and justice for all.  Finally, the Bible reminds us that God gives priority to those who are the oppressed, forgotten, and mistreated. 

I believe this is our calling and mandate as followers of the Risen Christ.  Certainly, we have a lot of work to do!  So let me conclude with one of my favorite quotes from the civil rights legend, John Lewis, who once probed, “If not us, then who?  If not now, then when?”

My friends, I challenge you to find ways to advocate for and help those who need us the most.  After all, as some would say, “What would Jesus do?”

Affectionately,

Bob Livingston 

Minister