Pastor’s Corner – September 14, 2025
The Power of the Cross – John 3:13-17
Since Wednesday afternoon, the news is dominated by the violent death of Charlie Kirk. For someone who made a career out of white supremacy, bigotry, misogyny and racism, I disagree with him and know for fact that his “free speech” had violent consequences for many progressives and the LGBTQ community. So while I condemn and don’t wish anyone a violent death, I do not celebrate or mourn his death as if we the nation have lost a great patriot and leader of a movement that I don’t condone or support, but resist and condemn.
On that note what I do mourn and remember today is the 24th anniversary of 9/11. I recall that horrific and tragic time in our history. In Palisades, New York, where I was a pastor, just a short distance from Ground Zero, our community was greatly impacted. Since the beginning of this year, over three hundred mass shootings and deaths have occurred. Meanwhile, in the background of our gun violence we witness close to home, genocide is happening in Gaza, supported by our government and our military industry.
Violence is everywhere, as if it can be a solution to the most pressing issues of our time. It’s never the answer; but creates more violence. This cycle must stop. Yes we do have serious gun violence in our nation. We have way too many guns – three times our population. Our military industrial complex requires war to be profitable. Our foreign policy is terrible and outdated, imperialist and colonial. Our capitalist system runs wild without any moral center, creating a greater divide between the rich and the abject poor.
How shall we respond and engage our world today? Come Sunday, we celebrate Holy Cross Sunday. We lift up the cross and will meditate on the depth of God’s love for us and the world. “The cross is foolishness to the Gentiles and stumbling block to the Jews, but to those who are called both Jews and Greeks the power and wisdom of God.” The power of the cross is transforming and redeeming. The wisdom of the cross is peace, justice and solidarity with those who mourn and are suffering. Let us lift up the cross this coming Sunday and hear the good news of God’s love, power and wisdom. Amen.
Pastor Dae