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Pastor's Pen
The city of Washington and the nation were
rocked by the killing of Washington football
team safety, Sean Taylor. On Monday, an
emotional funeral
As most of us are aware, Taylor, 24 years
old, was killed in what the police described
as a random robbery. Whether or not the
young man had some dealings with any of the
assailants is immaterial. What matters is,
this is another incidence of senseless
violence claiming the life of a young
African American male. This case achieved
worldwide headlines because of Sean Taylor's
all-star football status. However, every
day, in every city and many rural areas of
our nation, gunfire, blood and death are all
too common.
Young men have always resorted to violence
to settle disagreements. The Bible is
replete with such examples. Gangs and
violence were at epidemic proportions in
Philadelphia when I was a teenager in the
1960s. What has made all this so much more
tragic is that what might have ended with a
broken nose then, now through handguns and
automatic weapons, often results in
someone's head being blown off.
The words of Isaiah, in the second chapter -
the fourth verse, are needed as much now as
ever. At this season of Christmas we look
for, and pray for, a day when the One who is
coming will ensure that men and women, boys
and girls, “shall beat their spears into
pruning hooks, nations shall not lift up
sword against nations, neither shall they
learn war any more” (NRSV)
Reading through the Bible
December 16: Third Sunday of Advent:
Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146:5-10 or Luke 1:47-55;
James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11
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