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<\/a><\/p>\nOn April 20, 1999, two students at Columbine High School in Colorado shot and killed twelve fellow students and one teacher.\u00a0 The two students then killed themselves.\u00a0 The first victim in the Columbine High School shooting was Rachel Scott, a 17 year old student.\u00a0 She was sitting outside eating lunch with a friend when she was shot.\u00a0 Her father, Darrell Scott, has begun a campaign called Rachel\u2019s Challenge<\/a>.\u00a0 Just a week after her death, Rachel\u2019s family found in her room a tracing of hands with these words \u2013 “These hands belong to Rachel Joy Scott and will some day touch millions of people’s hearts.”<\/a><\/p>\n When her family received Rachel\u2019s backpack from the school, they found her diary with a bullet hole through it.\u00a0 In the diary were words of compassion and an essay telling about her personal ethics \u2013 that your actions can represent your character and your character can change someone else\u2019s life.\u00a0 Mr. Scott travels to schools throughout the United States to share the story of his daughter \u2013 her life, her death and her hopes for kindness and compassion.\u00a0 Using his daughter\u2019s own words found in her diaries, he offers students a challenge to start a chain reaction of kindness.\u00a0 \u201cI have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion then it will start a chain reaction of the same.\u201d- Rachel Scott<\/a><\/p>\n In September, Mr. Scott visited middle schools in Roanoke County, Virginia.\u00a0 My son relayed his experience this way:\u00a0 \u201cMr. Scott told us about Rachel.\u00a0 She was nice, kind and compassionate.\u00a0 Rachel wanted to reach out to people who are disabled, bullied, or left out of groups.\u00a0 Adam was a disabled student and one of the ones most bullied at their school.\u00a0 If she could help people like Adam then he could share an act of kindness with another.\u00a0 Rachel\u2019s Challenge is to start a chain reaction \u2013 one small act of kindness can lead to another and another and another.\u00a0 Like you could help someone pick up their books, or you could not have prejudice toward someone before you even know them.\u00a0 Bullying can really damage someone.\u201d<\/p>\n 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c<\/a><\/p>\n 2 Timothy 2:8-15<\/a><\/p>\n Luke 17:11-19<\/a><\/p>\n (Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser<\/a>. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings<\/a>.)<\/p>\n For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.<\/a><\/p>\n There are lots of outsiders in this gospel reading for today: lepers, Samaritans, and perhaps even Jesus himself.\u00a0 Jesus comes upon lepers as he approaches a village.\u00a0 Lepers were absolutely unclean, suffering from a skin disease that caused them to be shunned by society.\u00a0 Lepers were excluded from homes and other places where people gathered because they could spread their affliction to those around them.\u00a0 Purification rites were performed for lepers who recovered from their illness.\u00a0 So the leper was considered both physically and spiritually unclean.\u00a0 But Jesus reaches out to these outsiders in society, having mercy on the lepers and making them well.\u00a0 He tells them to go show themselves to the priests (necessary to show that they were in fact physically clean and to allow for the rites of spiritual purification).\u00a0 Jesus shows compassion to those whom society avoided, the outsiders.\u00a0 All ten are made clean.\u00a0 Has Jesus begun a chain reaction of compassion?<\/p>\n Most of the lepers do as Jesus instructs; they go to show the priest that they have been healed.\u00a0 But one leper turns back to thank Jesus.\u00a0 \u201cAnd he was a Samaritan.\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019d almost like to add an indignant exclamation point to that verse \u2013 a Samaritan!\u00a0 Humph!\u00a0 Jesus is travelling in the area between Samaria and Galilee.\u00a0 Many of you may be familiar with the general animosity between those from these regions (e.g. the parable of the Good Samaritan<\/a> or the Samaritan woman at the well<\/a>).\u00a0\u00a0 A Samaritan leper \u2013 could life be any worse for him?\u00a0 And yet it is the outsider, the foreigner, who shows praise for being made well.\u00a0 It is the foreigner who turns back to give thanks \u2013 directly, openly, verbally \u2013 to Jesus.\u00a0 \u00a0It is the foreigner who becomes the example of faith filled with joy and thanksgiving.\u00a0 Has the outsider continued the chain reaction by starting a chain reaction of joy, praise, and thanksgiving?\u00a0<\/p>\n Is Jesus also an outsider?\u00a0 He is praised and sought out for his teachings, healings, and other miracles.\u00a0 But he is also chastised and run off (even to the point of trying to push him off a cliff!\u2014see Luke 4:29).\u00a0 People ridiculed him and plotted against him.\u00a0 In the end (or is it the beginning?!), Jesus was put to death \u2013 dying for the sake of humanity\u2019s sins.\u00a0 Thanks be to God, Jesus has been raised from the dead, the ultimate victory over sin, death and the grave.\u00a0 The death and resurrection of Jesus is God\u2019s ultimate gift of grace, love and compassion.\u00a0 Has God begun a chain reaction \u2013 of grace, love, compassion, mercy and hope \u2013 in the death and resurrection of Jesus?\u00a0<\/p>\n Gracious God, thank you for cleansing us all of our own outsider-ness.\u00a0 Thank you for the love you have shown us in Jesus. \u00a0\u00a0In all that we are, say, and do, empower us to say thank you for your undeserved love and mercy.\u00a0 Guide us in showing grace, compassion, and hope to those around us, especially to the outsiders in our midst.\u00a0 Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Contributed by Kelly Derrick,\u00a0 St. Philip Lutheran Church, Roanoke, VA Warm-up Question What happens when we show a little kindness? Rachel’s Challenge On April 20, 1999, two students at Columbine High School in Colorado shot and killed twelve fellow students and one teacher.\u00a0 The two students then killed themselves.\u00a0 The first victim in the Columbine […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1400],"tags":[5916,379,390,462,394,511,5915,385,510,544,513,331],"class_list":["post-2013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-post","tag-columbine","tag-compassion","tag-generosity","tag-gifts","tag-gods-love","tag-healing","tag-leper","tag-love","tag-miracle","tag-sacrifice","tag-servant","tag-witness"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDiscussion Questions<\/h3>\n
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Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, October 10, 2010 (Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost)<\/h3>\n
Gospel Reflection<\/h3>\n
Discussion Questions<\/h3>\n
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Activity Suggestions<\/h3>\n
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Closing Prayer<\/h3>\n