pastorjohnb

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Practical Atheists

Reading: Psalm 14

Psalm 14:1 – “Fools say in their hearts, There is no God. They are corrupt and do evil things.”

Photo credit: Josh Calabrese

Psalm 14 is a prayer song to God. The psalmist is alarmed by the behavior of the leaders and those aligned with them. Verse 1 sums up the difficult situation: “Fools say in their hearts, There is no God. They are corrupt and do evil things.” For context, in ancient Israel a fool was one without fear and reverence for God. This lack of obedience to God was very evident in how these folks lived their lives. Since the politics leaders were the religious leaders, this practice of unfaithful and even ungodly living was doubly bad. The leaders were living a “practical atheism” – they claimed to follow God’s will and way but there was absolutely no evidence of this in their words or actions.

Some actions and behaviors and words were even in direct opposition to the God revealed in the scriptures. These ungodly leaders were “devouring my people,” taking advantage of the poor and powerless for personal gain. These bad leaders were “humiliating” the plans of the poor, maintaining and even touting the gap between those with and those without. So if you read this Psalm and look at the current treatment of refugees and immigrants, at the “power over” dynamics often on display, and at the general disregard for the common good and think that this Psalm sounds like 2025, I am right there with you. Many of our leaders today are practical atheists.

I also want to be right there with you as I invite us all to look within, to consider when and where and how we live as practical atheists. We do so when we judge or gossip or when we withhold grace and forgiveness. We do so when we ignore the whispers and nudges of the Holy Spirit, turning our backs on the hungry, thirsty, sick… We do so when we see injustice or oppression or abuse… and choose preservation of self over standing with and speaking for the vulnerable, for the least of these. When tempted to these ungodly choices, may we remember what the psalmist proclaimed: God is our refuge. With this faith and trust, may we step forward boldly in faithful action.

Prayer: Lord God, it is easy to point fingers. It is much harder to honestly look within. Guide us, O Lord, to remove the planks in our own eyes before we tackle the specks in other’s eyes. Amen.


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Welcome and Hospitality

Reading: Jeremiah 29: 1 and 4-7

Verses 5 and 6: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat… Marry and have sons and daughters”.

Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles invites them to become a part of the society that they have been forced into. It can be the tendency to try and remain isolated and to hold onto what makes one unique. Thinking back to the high point of immigration in the US, for example, cities had ethnic neighborhoods like Little Italy and Chinatown. In some cases whole towns had a mostly homogeneous ethnic make-up. In our passage today, God is encouraging the Israelites to become a part of where they are. They are instructed to “build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat… Marry and have sons and daughters”. They are to live with and amongst their new neighbors.

Today we have both immigrants and refugees that come to the US. The refugees are most like the exiles because these groups tend to arrive in significant numbers. There are often language barriers and usually social and cultural differences as well. These factors tend to isolate us from our new neighbors and vice versa. But they do not have to. A little north and east of the town I live in is a town that welcomes refugees and immigrants. The school system works hard to help the children and the community provides employment opportunities for the adults. Churches play a role in the acclimation process in a number of ways. The Latino and Hmong people have enriched and have helped the whole community to thrive. They are not without instances of prejudice and intolerance, but overall it is a successful experiment. They are modeling well Jesus’ example of loving the other.

In almost all of our communities we have new people move in. In my town they usually come from another town in or near South Dakota, but occasionally they are from further abroad. In these cases, we too should extend welcome and hospitality to them. We as Christians should do what we can to help them succeed and flourish because when they prosper, we prosper too – not just economically but socially and spiritually as well.

As individuals, as churches, and as communities, may we be people of love, extending radical hospitality to all we meet. In doing so we also extend God’s love.

Prayer: Father of all, help me to be a friend to all. Empower me to love others unconditionally, just as you love me. Create in me generous hands and feet and a giving heart, just as Jesus modeled for us. Thank you, Father God. Amen.