Jesus is with this close group of disciples but is soon going to leave them. "Don't worry," Jesus tells them, "you are in God's care."
She points out that we like they know that change brings anxiety. This prayer of Jesus can speak to that anxiety. They were able to face danger and opposition. That still happens for disciples.
She then brings up some dangers that might not have seemed so dangerous:
God created and continues to create this world, and God loves it all the while, but the culture we find ourselves in can lead us astray. If we're going to reorder our lives and rethink our priorities, we're going to have to make some choices. This week's passage tells us that there will be times when we have to choose, and when it comes to life or death, love or hate, God is on the side of love and life. The world, we're told, will not agree. In the world, power and security, victory at all costs, wealth and possessions, prestige and honor, numbing our emotions and suppressing our hope – all of these things win out over love, humility, justice, peace. That's the way this passage tells it, and that was Jesus' concern as he prayed for us. At times, however, the church itself has stumbled, entangling with the ways and values of the world rather than being consumed by gospel values. When the church becomes one more social organization (a club, even!), one more activity, one more voice that props up the powers that be, it has lost its way.Check out the link. She has a lot more to say.
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