The lectionary reading for the past 2 weeks have really been sending a rather unique message to me. It's spoken of impending change, storms, being at a crossroads, making choices, and a clear declaration that there are going to be people who will need help getting through it all. It's spoken of God's unconditional acceptance and never-ending love and how we, a part of all creation, will have to decide who we are and what we'll do for one another. It's been one passage after another filled with images of battles, both inward and outward.
So I find it only fitting that today's passage from Ephesians 6:10-20 talks about donning the "armor of God". We all know how it goes; belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, etc. What we often miss, or have glazed over for us, is who the enemy we're fighting is. Yes, I know we've been told the enemy is "The Enemy", but really, who is the enemy.
What we read today is very clear on this. Ephesians 6:12 says as straightforward as it can that our struggle is "not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."
I've read this passage a hundred times (okay, maybe not) and today is the first time I've actually realized just who our enemies are. I will not argue that our fight is against things which try to separate us from our relationships. It's in today's reading I see the one, or ones, who are continuously trying to separate us; who it is that "evil" is working through.
Please don't take my next comment to be political in any way, please.
It would seem that we are being separated from one another by those whom we have entrusted our lives to. Not just our community, city, state, and country leaders or the leaders of our military, but also some of our everyday leaders. Those we call our boss, those we call our teachers or mentors, and even those we call our friends. Now, I want to say that a vast majority of those who are leading us do so with as much dedication to peace through unity and justice as possible. It's the very few who that aren't I'm talking bout.
We all have, somewhere in our lives, someone who is motivated by being a force of division. These are the people we need to protect ourselves from. We need to be able to wrap ourselves with the truth and fend off any attempt to create a division between ourselves, our neighbors, creation and God with what we know to be right and just.
My request for today is to be on the lookout for these people, as few as they may be, and do as Ephesians says; "As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace."
Amen. Well said!
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