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<\/a><\/p>\nWeek 3: Vulnerable in the Wilderness<\/h2>\n\u201cO God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water\u201d (Psalm 63:1)<\/h3>\nRead<\/h4>\n\n- Isaiah 55:1-9<\/li>\n
- Psalm 63:1-8<\/li>\n
- I Corinthians 10:1-13<\/li>\n
- Luke 13:1-9<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Reflect<\/h4>\n
The Gospel reading for the third Sunday of Lent is challenging. Jesus is speaking at a large gathering (of \u201cthousands,\u201d we read in Luke 12) and is covering a lot of theological ground. In Chapter 13, a group from the crowd shares with him news of \u201cthe Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices\u201d (13:1). The event warrants no further description from Luke, but the picture the Gospel writer paints in just a few words is horrific. While performing a religious ceremony, a group of Galilean Jews have been slaughtered by Pilate\u2019s soldiers.<\/p>\n
We have no record of the event in other sources, but we do know that, tragically, it would not have been out of character for Pilate. Indeed, the end of Pilate\u2019s rule in Judea came about from a similar incident, when Pilate ordered his soldiers to massacre a group of Samaritans on Mount Gerizim as they gathered for a religious ceremony.<\/p>\n
Perhaps by naming the event to Jesus, the people were trying to trick him, as so many others had tried before. Or perhaps they were feeling him out, seeing if Jesus would say anything rebellious against Pilate or Rome. Either way, Jesus doesn\u2019t take the bait. As we see so often in the Gospels, Jesus instead uses the opportunity to challenge what the people think they know about God and themselves.<\/p>\n
At the time, the people believed that tragedies such as the massacre of the Galileans or the deadly collapse of \u201cthe tower of Siloam\u201d (v. 4) that killed 18 people were not mere accidents; they were, as one biblical scholar writes, \u201cthe wages of sin.\u201d The violence of tyrants, the human cost of disasters, the ravages of disease \u2014 all these were viewed as the intentional consequences meted out by God because the victims had sinned. In short, they believed those who died had gotten what they deserved.<\/p>\n
That same theological mentality persists today. A 2017 survey of Americans found Christians to be nearly twice as likely to believe that poverty results from the personal moral failings of individuals.<\/p>\n
The biblical witness in Luke paints a different perspective. Jesus pointedly asks the crowd if the Galileans killed by Pilate and the people killed by the falling tower were worse sinners or offenders than others. It\u2019s a rhetorical question that Jesus turns to his audience. Of course, they were neither worse sinners nor more egregious offenders. The unjust rule of tyrants is not reserved for the worst of sinners, nor do disasters wait until the most immoral people are at risk.<\/p>\n
Thus far in this season of Lent, we have been reflecting on what it means to be in the wilderness, journeying toward the promise God has in store. This encounter between Jesus and the crowd, which began in Luke 12 and continues in Luke 13, is a poignant opportunity to continue this reflection.
\nJesus\u2019 rhetorical questions about violence and disaster challenge us to consider our own vulnerability and responsibility as we make our way in the world.<\/p>\n
Jesus\u2019 question reminds the crowd that tragedy and trauma don\u2019t wait for morally upright people to get out of harm\u2019s way; we are all vulnerable as we traverse a wilderness fraught with injustice, violence, hunger and poverty. The superiority we may feel over others is neither true nor significant. In Luke,
\nJesus reminds us that we\u2019ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And, importantly, neither Pilate nor the tower of Siloam waited to make sure the most unworthy were at risk before dealing death to the crowd.<\/p>\n
We might say the same about hunger and poverty today: no amount of hard work can ultimately overcome an unjust system. As research has shown, even the most qualified candidates for jobs can find themselves locked out by systems rooted in prejudice. Neither moral purity nor a clean conscience can undo the damaging impact of housing discrimination that leaves some communities more vulnerable to flooding or storms than others. Hunger is not the result of personal moral failings but a risk we all
\ntake in a world still yearning for God to fulfill the promise that all will be fed.<\/p>\n
Yet research shows clear patterns in the distribution of hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world. The reality is that not all of us are equally vulnerable to hunger or poverty, nor are we vulnerable in the same ways. Employment discrimination makes securing jobs harder for candidates of color, even if they are more qualified than candidates who are white. Gender discrimination makes controlling land and securing loans to start a business harder for women. Public funding is often diverted to communities that are already financially secure and away from communities that are at risk. Each of these inequities deepens a person\u2019s vulnerability, shifting hunger from an incidental situation to an entrenched reality.<\/p>\n
As we reflect on our vulnerability in the wilderness, Jesus\u2019 message in the Gospel reading drives us to reflect on our own responsibility, calling us to examine what \u201cfruit,\u201d if any, we are producing. Is the work we do in the world reducing our shared vulnerability or increasing it? How are our laws, policies and practices making the \u201cwilderness\u201d a less dangerous place for ourselves and our neighbors?<\/p>\n
The teachings Jesus offers in Luke 12 and 13 are grounded in themes of anticipation and watchfulness. The practices of repentance and reconciliation he encourages (see Luke 12:13-15 and 57-58) are part of the identity of a people looking to the coming reign of God, preparing for a world that is no longer a wilderness but a full expression of God\u2019s promise.<\/p>\n
As the church, we are called to anticipate this promised future. In our confession, we confront the distance between where and who we are now and where and who we are called to be. In our commission, we bear witness to what we know by faith: that the death-dealing realities of a violent Pilate, crashing towers and hunger-causing injustices ought not to be. These realities are no more part of God\u2019s plan for us now than they are part of God\u2019s plan for our future.<\/p>\n
As we journey together in the wilderness this Lent, Jesus\u2019 words remind us of what it means to be vulnerable, to be responsible and to bear witness to the future we know God has in store.<\/p>\n
Ask<\/h4>\n\n- What situations or circumstances have left you or your community feeling vulnerable? How does faith in God help you navigate times when you feel powerless or at risk?<\/li>\n
- Consider some of the observations about hunger and poverty in the study session for this week. What are some of the factors that make us and our neighbors vulnerable to hunger and poverty?<\/li>\n
- In this week\u2019s readings, what is Jesus saying about what it means to be the people of God?\\ As Lutherans, we believe we are saved by grace despite our own sin.<\/li>\n
- How does the truth of grace change how we relate to our neighbors, especially our neighbors facing hunger or poverty?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Pray<\/h4>\n
Loving God, you sent your Son to save us when we could not save ourselves. Yet we still strive to save ourselves. Forgive us for the ways we have divided your world of grace according to our own false ideas of worth. Remind us of the gracious love that creates, saves and sustains us. Move us to be witnesses of your grace in the world and to seek new ways of sharing that with our neighbors. In your loving name we pray, amen.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
SEMANA 3: Vulnerables en el desierto<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cOh Dios, t\u00fa eres mi Dios; yo te busco intensamente. Mi alma tiene sed de ti; todo mi ser te anhela, cual tierra seca, extenuada y sedienta\u201d (Salmo 63:1).
\nLecturas: Isa\u00edas 55:1-9; Salmo 63:1-8; 1 Corintios 10:1-13; Lucas 13:1-9<\/p>\n
La lectura del Evangelio para el tercer domingo de Cuaresma es un desaf\u00edo. Jes\u00fas est\u00e1 hablando en una gran reuni\u00f3n (de \u201cmiles\u201d, como leemos en Lucas 12) y est\u00e1 abarcando mucho terreno teol\u00f3gico. En el cap\u00edtulo 13, un grupo de la multitud comparte con \u00e9l noticias de \u201cc\u00f3mo Pilato hab\u00eda dado muerte a unos galileos cuando ellos ofrec\u00edan sus sacrificios\u201d (13:1). El acontecimiento no merece que Lucas lo describa con m\u00e1s detalle, pero la imagen que el escritor del Evangelio pinta en solo unas pocas palabras es horrible. Mientras realizaban una ceremonia religiosa, un grupo de jud\u00edos galileos hab\u00edan sido masacrados por los soldados de Pilato.<\/p>\n
No tenemos registro de este suceso en otras fuentes, pero s\u00ed sabemos que, tr\u00e1gicamente, no habr\u00eda sido extra\u00f1o al car\u00e1cter de Pilato. De hecho, el fin del gobierno de Pilato en Judea se produjo a partir de un incidente similar, cuando Pilato orden\u00f3 a sus soldados que masacraran a un grupo de samaritanos en el Monte Gerizim mientras se reun\u00edan para una ceremonia religiosa.<\/p>\n
Tal vez la gente le mencion\u00f3 a Jes\u00fas el acontecimiento para tratar de enga\u00f1arlo, como muchos otros lo hab\u00edan intentado antes. O tal vez estaban tratando de averiguar lo que Jes\u00fas pensaba, a ver si dec\u00eda algo rebelde contra Pilato o Roma. De cualquier manera, Jes\u00fas no muerde el anzuelo. Como vemos tan a menudo en los Evangelios, Jes\u00fas en cambio usa la oportunidad para desafiar lo que la gente cree que sabe acerca de Dios y de s\u00ed mismos.<\/p>\n
En aquel tiempo, la gente cre\u00eda que tragedias como la masacre de los galileos o el colapso mortal de \u201cla torre de Silo\u00e9\u201d (v. 4) que mat\u00f3 a 18 personas no hab\u00edan sido meros accidentes; eran, como escribe un erudito b\u00edblico, \u201cla paga del pecado\u201d. La violencia de los tiranos, el costo humano de los desastres, los estragos de las enfermedades \u2014todo esto era visto como las consecuencias intencionales impuestas por Dios porque las v\u00edctimas hab\u00edan pecado. En pocas palabras, ellos cre\u00edan que los que mor\u00edan hab\u00edan recibido lo que merec\u00edan.<\/p>\n
Esa misma mentalidad teol\u00f3gica persiste hoy. Una encuesta de estadounidenses de 2017 encontr\u00f3 que los cristianos tienen casi el doble de probabilidades de creer que la pobreza es el resultado de las fallas morales personales de los individuos.<\/p>\n
El testimonio b\u00edblico en Lucas pinta una perspectiva diferente. Jes\u00fas pregunta deliberadamente a la multitud si los galileos asesinados por Pilato y las personas que murieron por el colapso de la torre eran peores pecadores u ofensores que otra gente. Es una pregunta ret\u00f3rica que Jes\u00fas dirige a su audiencia. Por supuesto, no eran ni peores pecadores ni ofensores m\u00e1s atroces. El gobierno injusto de los tiranos no est\u00e1 reservado para los peores pecadores, ni los desastres esperan hasta que las personas m\u00e1s inmorales est\u00e9n en riesgo.<\/p>\n
Hasta ahora, en esta temporada de Cuaresma, hemos estado reflexionando sobre lo que significa estar en el desierto, caminando hacia la promesa que Dios tiene reservada. Este encuentro entre Jes\u00fas y la multitud, que comenz\u00f3 en Lucas 12 y contin\u00faa en Lucas 13, es una oportunidad conmovedora para continuar esta reflexi\u00f3n. Las preguntas ret\u00f3ricas de Jes\u00fas sobre la violencia y el desastre nos desaf\u00edan a considerar nuestra propia vulnerabilidad y responsabilidad a medida que nos abrimos camino en el mundo.<\/p>\n
La pregunta de Jes\u00fas le recuerda a la multitud que la tragedia y el trauma no esperan a que las personas moralmente rectas salgan del peligro; todos somos vulnerables mientras atravesamos un desierto plagado de injusticia, violencia, hambre y pobreza. La superioridad que podemos sentir sobre los dem\u00e1s no es ni verdadera ni significativa. En Lucas, Jes\u00fas nos recuerda que todos hemos pecado y hemos sido privados de la gloria de Dios. Y, lo que es m\u00e1s importante, ni Pilato ni la torre de Silo\u00e9 esperaron para asegurarse de que los m\u00e1s indignos estuvieran en riesgo antes de matar a la multitud.<\/p>\n
Podr\u00edamos decir lo mismo sobre el hambre y la pobreza hoy: ninguna cantidad de trabajo duro puede superar en \u00faltima instancia un sistema injusto. Como han demostrado los estudios, incluso los candidatos m\u00e1s calificados para puestos de trabajo pueden verse bloqueados por sistemas arraigados en prejuicios. Ni la pureza moral ni una conciencia limpia pueden deshacer el impacto da\u00f1ino de la discriminaci\u00f3n en la vivienda que deja a algunas comunidades m\u00e1s vulnerables a las inundaciones o tormentas que otras. El hambre no es el resultado de fallas morales personales, sino un riesgo que todos corremos en un mundo que todav\u00eda anhela que Dios cumpla la promesa de que todos ser\u00e1n alimentados.<\/p>\n
Sin embargo, los estudios muestran patrones claros en la distribuci\u00f3n del hambre y la pobreza en los Estados Unidos y en todo el mundo. La realidad es que no todos somos igualmente vulnerables al hambre o la pobreza, ni somos vulnerables de la misma manera. La discriminaci\u00f3n en el empleo hace que asegurar empleos sea m\u00e1s dif\u00edcil para los candidatos de color, incluso si est\u00e1n m\u00e1s calificados que los candidatos que son blancos. La discriminaci\u00f3n de g\u00e9nero hace que controlar la tierra y obtener pr\u00e9stamos para iniciar un negocio sea m\u00e1s dif\u00edcil para las mujeres. A menudo el financiamiento p\u00fablico es desviado hacia comunidades que ya son financieramente seguras y lejos de las comunidades que est\u00e1n en riesgo. Cada una de estas inequidades aumenta la vulnerabilidad de una persona, y el hambre cambia de una situaci\u00f3n incidental a una realidad arraigada.<\/p>\n
Mientras reflexionamos en nuestra vulnerabilidad en el desierto, el mensaje de Jes\u00fas en la lectura del Evangelio nos impulsa a reflexionar en nuestra propia responsabilidad, llam\u00e1ndonos a examinar qu\u00e9 \u201cfruto\u201d, si es que hay alguno, estamos produciendo. \u00bfEst\u00e1 el trabajo que hacemos en el mundo reduciendo nuestra vulnerabilidad compartida o aument\u00e1ndola? \u00bfC\u00f3mo est\u00e1n nuestras leyes, pol\u00edticas y pr\u00e1cticas haciendo del \u201cdesierto\u201d un lugar menos peligroso para nosotros y nuestro pr\u00f3jimo?<\/p>\n
Las ense\u00f1anzas que Jes\u00fas ofrece en Lucas 12 y 13 se basan en temas de anticipaci\u00f3n y vigilancia. Las pr\u00e1cticas de arrepentimiento y reconciliaci\u00f3n que \u00e9l promueve (ver Lucas 12:13-15 y 57-58) son parte de la identidad de un pueblo que mira hacia el reino venidero de Dios, prepar\u00e1ndose para un mundo que ya no es un desierto, sino una expresi\u00f3n plena de la promesa de Dios.<\/p>\n
Como iglesia estamos llamados a anticipar este futuro prometido. En nuestra confesi\u00f3n nos enfrentamos a la distancia que hay entre d\u00f3nde estamos y qui\u00e9nes somos ahora, y d\u00f3nde estamos llamados a estar y qui\u00e9nes estamos llamados a ser. En nuestra comisi\u00f3n damos testimonio de lo que sabemos por fe: que las realidades mort\u00edferas de un Pilato violento, torres que se caen e injusticias que causan hambre no deben existir. Estas realidades no son m\u00e1s parte del plan de Dios para nosotros ahora de lo que son parte de su plan para nuestro futuro.<\/p>\n
Mientras caminamos juntos en el desierto esta Cuaresma, las palabras de Jes\u00fas nos recuerdan lo que significa ser vulnerables, ser responsables y dar testimonio del futuro que sabemos que Dios tiene reservado.<\/p>\n
Preguntas para la reflexi\u00f3n<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- \u00bfQu\u00e9 situaciones o circunstancias han dejado a su comunidad sinti\u00e9ndose vulnerable? \u00bfC\u00f3mo le ayuda la fe en Dios a navegar los momentos en que se siente impotente o en riesgo?<\/li>\n
- Considere algunas de las observaciones acerca del hambre y la pobreza de la sesi\u00f3n de estudio de esta semana. \u00bfCu\u00e1les son algunos de los factores que hacen que nuestro pr\u00f3jimo y nosotros nos volvamos vulnerables al hambre y la pobreza?<\/li>\n
- En las lecturas de esta semana, \u00bfqu\u00e9 dice Jes\u00fas sobre lo que significa ser el pueblo de Dios?<\/li>\n
- Como luteranos creemos que somos salvados por gracia a pesar de nuestro propio pecado. \u00bfC\u00f3mo la verdad de la gracia cambia la forma en que nos relacionamos con nuestros vecinos, especialmente los que enfrentan el hambre y la pobreza?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Oraci\u00f3n<\/strong><\/p>\nAmoroso Dios, enviaste a tu Hijo para salvarnos cuando no pod\u00edamos salvarnos a nosotros mismos. Sin embargo, todav\u00eda luchamos por salvarnos a nosotros mismos. Perd\u00f3nanos por las maneras en que hemos dividido tu mundo de gracia seg\u00fan nuestras propias falsas ideas de m\u00e9rito o valor. Recu\u00e9rdanos el amor misericordioso que nos crea, salva y sustenta. Mu\u00e9venos a ser testigos de tu gracia en el mundo y a buscar nuevas formas de compartirla con nuestro pr\u00f3jimo. Oramos en tu amoroso nombre, am\u00e9n.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving Lent 2022 In English and en Espanol Week 3: Vulnerable in the Wilderness \u201cO God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water\u201d (Psalm 63:1) Read Isaiah […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":191,"featured_media":5437,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-post"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Lent Reflection 3: Wandering in the Wilderness - ELCA World Hunger<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Join ELCA World Hunger this third week of Lent to learn about creating a just world where all are fed while we journey in the wilderness\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worldhunger\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lent Reflection 3: Wandering in the Wilderness - ELCA World Hunger\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Join ELCA World Hunger this third week of Lent to learn about creating a just world where all are fed while we journey in the wilderness\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worldhunger\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ELCA World Hunger\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-03-21T15:15:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-03-28T15:26:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worldhunger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2022\/03\/3.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"elcaworldhunger\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"elcaworldhunger\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"elcaworldhunger\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f0bbd071b1e6029ad346ebfc1eeb36ce\"},\"headline\":\"Lent Reflection 3: Wandering in the Wilderness\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-03-21T15:15:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-03-28T15:26:17+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2851,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/52\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/3.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Post\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\\\/\",\"name\":\"Lent Reflection 3: Wandering in the Wilderness - 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Read<\/h4>\n\n- Isaiah 55:1-9<\/li>\n
- Psalm 63:1-8<\/li>\n
- I Corinthians 10:1-13<\/li>\n
- Luke 13:1-9<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Reflect<\/h4>\n
The Gospel reading for the third Sunday of Lent is challenging. Jesus is speaking at a large gathering (of \u201cthousands,\u201d we read in Luke 12) and is covering a lot of theological ground. In Chapter 13, a group from the crowd shares with him news of \u201cthe Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices\u201d (13:1). The event warrants no further description from Luke, but the picture the Gospel writer paints in just a few words is horrific. While performing a religious ceremony, a group of Galilean Jews have been slaughtered by Pilate\u2019s soldiers.<\/p>\n
We have no record of the event in other sources, but we do know that, tragically, it would not have been out of character for Pilate. Indeed, the end of Pilate\u2019s rule in Judea came about from a similar incident, when Pilate ordered his soldiers to massacre a group of Samaritans on Mount Gerizim as they gathered for a religious ceremony.<\/p>\n
Perhaps by naming the event to Jesus, the people were trying to trick him, as so many others had tried before. Or perhaps they were feeling him out, seeing if Jesus would say anything rebellious against Pilate or Rome. Either way, Jesus doesn\u2019t take the bait. As we see so often in the Gospels, Jesus instead uses the opportunity to challenge what the people think they know about God and themselves.<\/p>\n
At the time, the people believed that tragedies such as the massacre of the Galileans or the deadly collapse of \u201cthe tower of Siloam\u201d (v. 4) that killed 18 people were not mere accidents; they were, as one biblical scholar writes, \u201cthe wages of sin.\u201d The violence of tyrants, the human cost of disasters, the ravages of disease \u2014 all these were viewed as the intentional consequences meted out by God because the victims had sinned. In short, they believed those who died had gotten what they deserved.<\/p>\n
That same theological mentality persists today. A 2017 survey of Americans found Christians to be nearly twice as likely to believe that poverty results from the personal moral failings of individuals.<\/p>\n
The biblical witness in Luke paints a different perspective. Jesus pointedly asks the crowd if the Galileans killed by Pilate and the people killed by the falling tower were worse sinners or offenders than others. It\u2019s a rhetorical question that Jesus turns to his audience. Of course, they were neither worse sinners nor more egregious offenders. The unjust rule of tyrants is not reserved for the worst of sinners, nor do disasters wait until the most immoral people are at risk.<\/p>\n
Thus far in this season of Lent, we have been reflecting on what it means to be in the wilderness, journeying toward the promise God has in store. This encounter between Jesus and the crowd, which began in Luke 12 and continues in Luke 13, is a poignant opportunity to continue this reflection.
\nJesus\u2019 rhetorical questions about violence and disaster challenge us to consider our own vulnerability and responsibility as we make our way in the world.<\/p>\n
Jesus\u2019 question reminds the crowd that tragedy and trauma don\u2019t wait for morally upright people to get out of harm\u2019s way; we are all vulnerable as we traverse a wilderness fraught with injustice, violence, hunger and poverty. The superiority we may feel over others is neither true nor significant. In Luke,
\nJesus reminds us that we\u2019ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And, importantly, neither Pilate nor the tower of Siloam waited to make sure the most unworthy were at risk before dealing death to the crowd.<\/p>\n
We might say the same about hunger and poverty today: no amount of hard work can ultimately overcome an unjust system. As research has shown, even the most qualified candidates for jobs can find themselves locked out by systems rooted in prejudice. Neither moral purity nor a clean conscience can undo the damaging impact of housing discrimination that leaves some communities more vulnerable to flooding or storms than others. Hunger is not the result of personal moral failings but a risk we all
\ntake in a world still yearning for God to fulfill the promise that all will be fed.<\/p>\n
Yet research shows clear patterns in the distribution of hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world. The reality is that not all of us are equally vulnerable to hunger or poverty, nor are we vulnerable in the same ways. Employment discrimination makes securing jobs harder for candidates of color, even if they are more qualified than candidates who are white. Gender discrimination makes controlling land and securing loans to start a business harder for women. Public funding is often diverted to communities that are already financially secure and away from communities that are at risk. Each of these inequities deepens a person\u2019s vulnerability, shifting hunger from an incidental situation to an entrenched reality.<\/p>\n
As we reflect on our vulnerability in the wilderness, Jesus\u2019 message in the Gospel reading drives us to reflect on our own responsibility, calling us to examine what \u201cfruit,\u201d if any, we are producing. Is the work we do in the world reducing our shared vulnerability or increasing it? How are our laws, policies and practices making the \u201cwilderness\u201d a less dangerous place for ourselves and our neighbors?<\/p>\n
The teachings Jesus offers in Luke 12 and 13 are grounded in themes of anticipation and watchfulness. The practices of repentance and reconciliation he encourages (see Luke 12:13-15 and 57-58) are part of the identity of a people looking to the coming reign of God, preparing for a world that is no longer a wilderness but a full expression of God\u2019s promise.<\/p>\n
As the church, we are called to anticipate this promised future. In our confession, we confront the distance between where and who we are now and where and who we are called to be. In our commission, we bear witness to what we know by faith: that the death-dealing realities of a violent Pilate, crashing towers and hunger-causing injustices ought not to be. These realities are no more part of God\u2019s plan for us now than they are part of God\u2019s plan for our future.<\/p>\n
As we journey together in the wilderness this Lent, Jesus\u2019 words remind us of what it means to be vulnerable, to be responsible and to bear witness to the future we know God has in store.<\/p>\n
Ask<\/h4>\n\n- What situations or circumstances have left you or your community feeling vulnerable? How does faith in God help you navigate times when you feel powerless or at risk?<\/li>\n
- Consider some of the observations about hunger and poverty in the study session for this week. What are some of the factors that make us and our neighbors vulnerable to hunger and poverty?<\/li>\n
- In this week\u2019s readings, what is Jesus saying about what it means to be the people of God?\\ As Lutherans, we believe we are saved by grace despite our own sin.<\/li>\n
- How does the truth of grace change how we relate to our neighbors, especially our neighbors facing hunger or poverty?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Pray<\/h4>\n
Loving God, you sent your Son to save us when we could not save ourselves. Yet we still strive to save ourselves. Forgive us for the ways we have divided your world of grace according to our own false ideas of worth. Remind us of the gracious love that creates, saves and sustains us. Move us to be witnesses of your grace in the world and to seek new ways of sharing that with our neighbors. In your loving name we pray, amen.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
SEMANA 3: Vulnerables en el desierto<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cOh Dios, t\u00fa eres mi Dios; yo te busco intensamente. Mi alma tiene sed de ti; todo mi ser te anhela, cual tierra seca, extenuada y sedienta\u201d (Salmo 63:1).
\nLecturas: Isa\u00edas 55:1-9; Salmo 63:1-8; 1 Corintios 10:1-13; Lucas 13:1-9<\/p>\n
La lectura del Evangelio para el tercer domingo de Cuaresma es un desaf\u00edo. Jes\u00fas est\u00e1 hablando en una gran reuni\u00f3n (de \u201cmiles\u201d, como leemos en Lucas 12) y est\u00e1 abarcando mucho terreno teol\u00f3gico. En el cap\u00edtulo 13, un grupo de la multitud comparte con \u00e9l noticias de \u201cc\u00f3mo Pilato hab\u00eda dado muerte a unos galileos cuando ellos ofrec\u00edan sus sacrificios\u201d (13:1). El acontecimiento no merece que Lucas lo describa con m\u00e1s detalle, pero la imagen que el escritor del Evangelio pinta en solo unas pocas palabras es horrible. Mientras realizaban una ceremonia religiosa, un grupo de jud\u00edos galileos hab\u00edan sido masacrados por los soldados de Pilato.<\/p>\n
No tenemos registro de este suceso en otras fuentes, pero s\u00ed sabemos que, tr\u00e1gicamente, no habr\u00eda sido extra\u00f1o al car\u00e1cter de Pilato. De hecho, el fin del gobierno de Pilato en Judea se produjo a partir de un incidente similar, cuando Pilato orden\u00f3 a sus soldados que masacraran a un grupo de samaritanos en el Monte Gerizim mientras se reun\u00edan para una ceremonia religiosa.<\/p>\n
Tal vez la gente le mencion\u00f3 a Jes\u00fas el acontecimiento para tratar de enga\u00f1arlo, como muchos otros lo hab\u00edan intentado antes. O tal vez estaban tratando de averiguar lo que Jes\u00fas pensaba, a ver si dec\u00eda algo rebelde contra Pilato o Roma. De cualquier manera, Jes\u00fas no muerde el anzuelo. Como vemos tan a menudo en los Evangelios, Jes\u00fas en cambio usa la oportunidad para desafiar lo que la gente cree que sabe acerca de Dios y de s\u00ed mismos.<\/p>\n
En aquel tiempo, la gente cre\u00eda que tragedias como la masacre de los galileos o el colapso mortal de \u201cla torre de Silo\u00e9\u201d (v. 4) que mat\u00f3 a 18 personas no hab\u00edan sido meros accidentes; eran, como escribe un erudito b\u00edblico, \u201cla paga del pecado\u201d. La violencia de los tiranos, el costo humano de los desastres, los estragos de las enfermedades \u2014todo esto era visto como las consecuencias intencionales impuestas por Dios porque las v\u00edctimas hab\u00edan pecado. En pocas palabras, ellos cre\u00edan que los que mor\u00edan hab\u00edan recibido lo que merec\u00edan.<\/p>\n
Esa misma mentalidad teol\u00f3gica persiste hoy. Una encuesta de estadounidenses de 2017 encontr\u00f3 que los cristianos tienen casi el doble de probabilidades de creer que la pobreza es el resultado de las fallas morales personales de los individuos.<\/p>\n
El testimonio b\u00edblico en Lucas pinta una perspectiva diferente. Jes\u00fas pregunta deliberadamente a la multitud si los galileos asesinados por Pilato y las personas que murieron por el colapso de la torre eran peores pecadores u ofensores que otra gente. Es una pregunta ret\u00f3rica que Jes\u00fas dirige a su audiencia. Por supuesto, no eran ni peores pecadores ni ofensores m\u00e1s atroces. El gobierno injusto de los tiranos no est\u00e1 reservado para los peores pecadores, ni los desastres esperan hasta que las personas m\u00e1s inmorales est\u00e9n en riesgo.<\/p>\n
Hasta ahora, en esta temporada de Cuaresma, hemos estado reflexionando sobre lo que significa estar en el desierto, caminando hacia la promesa que Dios tiene reservada. Este encuentro entre Jes\u00fas y la multitud, que comenz\u00f3 en Lucas 12 y contin\u00faa en Lucas 13, es una oportunidad conmovedora para continuar esta reflexi\u00f3n. Las preguntas ret\u00f3ricas de Jes\u00fas sobre la violencia y el desastre nos desaf\u00edan a considerar nuestra propia vulnerabilidad y responsabilidad a medida que nos abrimos camino en el mundo.<\/p>\n
La pregunta de Jes\u00fas le recuerda a la multitud que la tragedia y el trauma no esperan a que las personas moralmente rectas salgan del peligro; todos somos vulnerables mientras atravesamos un desierto plagado de injusticia, violencia, hambre y pobreza. La superioridad que podemos sentir sobre los dem\u00e1s no es ni verdadera ni significativa. En Lucas, Jes\u00fas nos recuerda que todos hemos pecado y hemos sido privados de la gloria de Dios. Y, lo que es m\u00e1s importante, ni Pilato ni la torre de Silo\u00e9 esperaron para asegurarse de que los m\u00e1s indignos estuvieran en riesgo antes de matar a la multitud.<\/p>\n
Podr\u00edamos decir lo mismo sobre el hambre y la pobreza hoy: ninguna cantidad de trabajo duro puede superar en \u00faltima instancia un sistema injusto. Como han demostrado los estudios, incluso los candidatos m\u00e1s calificados para puestos de trabajo pueden verse bloqueados por sistemas arraigados en prejuicios. Ni la pureza moral ni una conciencia limpia pueden deshacer el impacto da\u00f1ino de la discriminaci\u00f3n en la vivienda que deja a algunas comunidades m\u00e1s vulnerables a las inundaciones o tormentas que otras. El hambre no es el resultado de fallas morales personales, sino un riesgo que todos corremos en un mundo que todav\u00eda anhela que Dios cumpla la promesa de que todos ser\u00e1n alimentados.<\/p>\n
Sin embargo, los estudios muestran patrones claros en la distribuci\u00f3n del hambre y la pobreza en los Estados Unidos y en todo el mundo. La realidad es que no todos somos igualmente vulnerables al hambre o la pobreza, ni somos vulnerables de la misma manera. La discriminaci\u00f3n en el empleo hace que asegurar empleos sea m\u00e1s dif\u00edcil para los candidatos de color, incluso si est\u00e1n m\u00e1s calificados que los candidatos que son blancos. La discriminaci\u00f3n de g\u00e9nero hace que controlar la tierra y obtener pr\u00e9stamos para iniciar un negocio sea m\u00e1s dif\u00edcil para las mujeres. A menudo el financiamiento p\u00fablico es desviado hacia comunidades que ya son financieramente seguras y lejos de las comunidades que est\u00e1n en riesgo. Cada una de estas inequidades aumenta la vulnerabilidad de una persona, y el hambre cambia de una situaci\u00f3n incidental a una realidad arraigada.<\/p>\n
Mientras reflexionamos en nuestra vulnerabilidad en el desierto, el mensaje de Jes\u00fas en la lectura del Evangelio nos impulsa a reflexionar en nuestra propia responsabilidad, llam\u00e1ndonos a examinar qu\u00e9 \u201cfruto\u201d, si es que hay alguno, estamos produciendo. \u00bfEst\u00e1 el trabajo que hacemos en el mundo reduciendo nuestra vulnerabilidad compartida o aument\u00e1ndola? \u00bfC\u00f3mo est\u00e1n nuestras leyes, pol\u00edticas y pr\u00e1cticas haciendo del \u201cdesierto\u201d un lugar menos peligroso para nosotros y nuestro pr\u00f3jimo?<\/p>\n
Las ense\u00f1anzas que Jes\u00fas ofrece en Lucas 12 y 13 se basan en temas de anticipaci\u00f3n y vigilancia. Las pr\u00e1cticas de arrepentimiento y reconciliaci\u00f3n que \u00e9l promueve (ver Lucas 12:13-15 y 57-58) son parte de la identidad de un pueblo que mira hacia el reino venidero de Dios, prepar\u00e1ndose para un mundo que ya no es un desierto, sino una expresi\u00f3n plena de la promesa de Dios.<\/p>\n
Como iglesia estamos llamados a anticipar este futuro prometido. En nuestra confesi\u00f3n nos enfrentamos a la distancia que hay entre d\u00f3nde estamos y qui\u00e9nes somos ahora, y d\u00f3nde estamos llamados a estar y qui\u00e9nes estamos llamados a ser. En nuestra comisi\u00f3n damos testimonio de lo que sabemos por fe: que las realidades mort\u00edferas de un Pilato violento, torres que se caen e injusticias que causan hambre no deben existir. Estas realidades no son m\u00e1s parte del plan de Dios para nosotros ahora de lo que son parte de su plan para nuestro futuro.<\/p>\n
Mientras caminamos juntos en el desierto esta Cuaresma, las palabras de Jes\u00fas nos recuerdan lo que significa ser vulnerables, ser responsables y dar testimonio del futuro que sabemos que Dios tiene reservado.<\/p>\n
Preguntas para la reflexi\u00f3n<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- \u00bfQu\u00e9 situaciones o circunstancias han dejado a su comunidad sinti\u00e9ndose vulnerable? \u00bfC\u00f3mo le ayuda la fe en Dios a navegar los momentos en que se siente impotente o en riesgo?<\/li>\n
- Considere algunas de las observaciones acerca del hambre y la pobreza de la sesi\u00f3n de estudio de esta semana. \u00bfCu\u00e1les son algunos de los factores que hacen que nuestro pr\u00f3jimo y nosotros nos volvamos vulnerables al hambre y la pobreza?<\/li>\n
- En las lecturas de esta semana, \u00bfqu\u00e9 dice Jes\u00fas sobre lo que significa ser el pueblo de Dios?<\/li>\n
- Como luteranos creemos que somos salvados por gracia a pesar de nuestro propio pecado. \u00bfC\u00f3mo la verdad de la gracia cambia la forma en que nos relacionamos con nuestros vecinos, especialmente los que enfrentan el hambre y la pobreza?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Oraci\u00f3n<\/strong><\/p>\nAmoroso Dios, enviaste a tu Hijo para salvarnos cuando no pod\u00edamos salvarnos a nosotros mismos. Sin embargo, todav\u00eda luchamos por salvarnos a nosotros mismos. Perd\u00f3nanos por las maneras en que hemos dividido tu mundo de gracia seg\u00fan nuestras propias falsas ideas de m\u00e9rito o valor. Recu\u00e9rdanos el amor misericordioso que nos crea, salva y sustenta. Mu\u00e9venos a ser testigos de tu gracia en el mundo y a buscar nuevas formas de compartirla con nuestro pr\u00f3jimo. Oramos en tu amoroso nombre, am\u00e9n.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving Lent 2022 In English and en Espanol Week 3: Vulnerable in the Wilderness \u201cO God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water\u201d (Psalm 63:1) Read Isaiah […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":191,"featured_media":5437,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-post"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Lent Reflection 3: Wandering in the Wilderness - ELCA World Hunger<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Join ELCA World Hunger this third week of Lent to learn about creating a just world where all are fed while we journey in the wilderness\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worldhunger\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lent Reflection 3: Wandering in the Wilderness - ELCA World Hunger\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Join ELCA World Hunger this third week of Lent to learn about creating a just world where all are fed while we journey in the wilderness\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worldhunger\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ELCA World Hunger\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-03-21T15:15:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-03-28T15:26:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worldhunger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2022\/03\/3.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"elcaworldhunger\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"elcaworldhunger\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"elcaworldhunger\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f0bbd071b1e6029ad346ebfc1eeb36ce\"},\"headline\":\"Lent Reflection 3: Wandering in the Wilderness\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-03-21T15:15:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-03-28T15:26:17+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2851,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/52\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/3.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Post\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\\\/\",\"name\":\"Lent Reflection 3: Wandering in the Wilderness - 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Reflect<\/h4>\n
The Gospel reading for the third Sunday of Lent is challenging. Jesus is speaking at a large gathering (of \u201cthousands,\u201d we read in Luke 12) and is covering a lot of theological ground. In Chapter 13, a group from the crowd shares with him news of \u201cthe Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices\u201d (13:1). The event warrants no further description from Luke, but the picture the Gospel writer paints in just a few words is horrific. While performing a religious ceremony, a group of Galilean Jews have been slaughtered by Pilate\u2019s soldiers.<\/p>\n
We have no record of the event in other sources, but we do know that, tragically, it would not have been out of character for Pilate. Indeed, the end of Pilate\u2019s rule in Judea came about from a similar incident, when Pilate ordered his soldiers to massacre a group of Samaritans on Mount Gerizim as they gathered for a religious ceremony.<\/p>\n
Perhaps by naming the event to Jesus, the people were trying to trick him, as so many others had tried before. Or perhaps they were feeling him out, seeing if Jesus would say anything rebellious against Pilate or Rome. Either way, Jesus doesn\u2019t take the bait. As we see so often in the Gospels, Jesus instead uses the opportunity to challenge what the people think they know about God and themselves.<\/p>\n
At the time, the people believed that tragedies such as the massacre of the Galileans or the deadly collapse of \u201cthe tower of Siloam\u201d (v. 4) that killed 18 people were not mere accidents; they were, as one biblical scholar writes, \u201cthe wages of sin.\u201d The violence of tyrants, the human cost of disasters, the ravages of disease \u2014 all these were viewed as the intentional consequences meted out by God because the victims had sinned. In short, they believed those who died had gotten what they deserved.<\/p>\n
That same theological mentality persists today. A 2017 survey of Americans found Christians to be nearly twice as likely to believe that poverty results from the personal moral failings of individuals.<\/p>\n
The biblical witness in Luke paints a different perspective. Jesus pointedly asks the crowd if the Galileans killed by Pilate and the people killed by the falling tower were worse sinners or offenders than others. It\u2019s a rhetorical question that Jesus turns to his audience. Of course, they were neither worse sinners nor more egregious offenders. The unjust rule of tyrants is not reserved for the worst of sinners, nor do disasters wait until the most immoral people are at risk.<\/p>\n
Thus far in this season of Lent, we have been reflecting on what it means to be in the wilderness, journeying toward the promise God has in store. This encounter between Jesus and the crowd, which began in Luke 12 and continues in Luke 13, is a poignant opportunity to continue this reflection.
\nJesus\u2019 rhetorical questions about violence and disaster challenge us to consider our own vulnerability and responsibility as we make our way in the world.<\/p>\n
Jesus\u2019 question reminds the crowd that tragedy and trauma don\u2019t wait for morally upright people to get out of harm\u2019s way; we are all vulnerable as we traverse a wilderness fraught with injustice, violence, hunger and poverty. The superiority we may feel over others is neither true nor significant. In Luke,
\nJesus reminds us that we\u2019ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And, importantly, neither Pilate nor the tower of Siloam waited to make sure the most unworthy were at risk before dealing death to the crowd.<\/p>\n
We might say the same about hunger and poverty today: no amount of hard work can ultimately overcome an unjust system. As research has shown, even the most qualified candidates for jobs can find themselves locked out by systems rooted in prejudice. Neither moral purity nor a clean conscience can undo the damaging impact of housing discrimination that leaves some communities more vulnerable to flooding or storms than others. Hunger is not the result of personal moral failings but a risk we all
\ntake in a world still yearning for God to fulfill the promise that all will be fed.<\/p>\n
Yet research shows clear patterns in the distribution of hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world. The reality is that not all of us are equally vulnerable to hunger or poverty, nor are we vulnerable in the same ways. Employment discrimination makes securing jobs harder for candidates of color, even if they are more qualified than candidates who are white. Gender discrimination makes controlling land and securing loans to start a business harder for women. Public funding is often diverted to communities that are already financially secure and away from communities that are at risk. Each of these inequities deepens a person\u2019s vulnerability, shifting hunger from an incidental situation to an entrenched reality.<\/p>\n
As we reflect on our vulnerability in the wilderness, Jesus\u2019 message in the Gospel reading drives us to reflect on our own responsibility, calling us to examine what \u201cfruit,\u201d if any, we are producing. Is the work we do in the world reducing our shared vulnerability or increasing it? How are our laws, policies and practices making the \u201cwilderness\u201d a less dangerous place for ourselves and our neighbors?<\/p>\n
The teachings Jesus offers in Luke 12 and 13 are grounded in themes of anticipation and watchfulness. The practices of repentance and reconciliation he encourages (see Luke 12:13-15 and 57-58) are part of the identity of a people looking to the coming reign of God, preparing for a world that is no longer a wilderness but a full expression of God\u2019s promise.<\/p>\n
As the church, we are called to anticipate this promised future. In our confession, we confront the distance between where and who we are now and where and who we are called to be. In our commission, we bear witness to what we know by faith: that the death-dealing realities of a violent Pilate, crashing towers and hunger-causing injustices ought not to be. These realities are no more part of God\u2019s plan for us now than they are part of God\u2019s plan for our future.<\/p>\n
As we journey together in the wilderness this Lent, Jesus\u2019 words remind us of what it means to be vulnerable, to be responsible and to bear witness to the future we know God has in store.<\/p>\n
Ask<\/h4>\n\n- What situations or circumstances have left you or your community feeling vulnerable? How does faith in God help you navigate times when you feel powerless or at risk?<\/li>\n
- Consider some of the observations about hunger and poverty in the study session for this week. What are some of the factors that make us and our neighbors vulnerable to hunger and poverty?<\/li>\n
- In this week\u2019s readings, what is Jesus saying about what it means to be the people of God?\\ As Lutherans, we believe we are saved by grace despite our own sin.<\/li>\n
- How does the truth of grace change how we relate to our neighbors, especially our neighbors facing hunger or poverty?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Pray<\/h4>\n
Loving God, you sent your Son to save us when we could not save ourselves. Yet we still strive to save ourselves. Forgive us for the ways we have divided your world of grace according to our own false ideas of worth. Remind us of the gracious love that creates, saves and sustains us. Move us to be witnesses of your grace in the world and to seek new ways of sharing that with our neighbors. In your loving name we pray, amen.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
SEMANA 3: Vulnerables en el desierto<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cOh Dios, t\u00fa eres mi Dios; yo te busco intensamente. Mi alma tiene sed de ti; todo mi ser te anhela, cual tierra seca, extenuada y sedienta\u201d (Salmo 63:1).
\nLecturas: Isa\u00edas 55:1-9; Salmo 63:1-8; 1 Corintios 10:1-13; Lucas 13:1-9<\/p>\n
La lectura del Evangelio para el tercer domingo de Cuaresma es un desaf\u00edo. Jes\u00fas est\u00e1 hablando en una gran reuni\u00f3n (de \u201cmiles\u201d, como leemos en Lucas 12) y est\u00e1 abarcando mucho terreno teol\u00f3gico. En el cap\u00edtulo 13, un grupo de la multitud comparte con \u00e9l noticias de \u201cc\u00f3mo Pilato hab\u00eda dado muerte a unos galileos cuando ellos ofrec\u00edan sus sacrificios\u201d (13:1). El acontecimiento no merece que Lucas lo describa con m\u00e1s detalle, pero la imagen que el escritor del Evangelio pinta en solo unas pocas palabras es horrible. Mientras realizaban una ceremonia religiosa, un grupo de jud\u00edos galileos hab\u00edan sido masacrados por los soldados de Pilato.<\/p>\n
No tenemos registro de este suceso en otras fuentes, pero s\u00ed sabemos que, tr\u00e1gicamente, no habr\u00eda sido extra\u00f1o al car\u00e1cter de Pilato. De hecho, el fin del gobierno de Pilato en Judea se produjo a partir de un incidente similar, cuando Pilato orden\u00f3 a sus soldados que masacraran a un grupo de samaritanos en el Monte Gerizim mientras se reun\u00edan para una ceremonia religiosa.<\/p>\n
Tal vez la gente le mencion\u00f3 a Jes\u00fas el acontecimiento para tratar de enga\u00f1arlo, como muchos otros lo hab\u00edan intentado antes. O tal vez estaban tratando de averiguar lo que Jes\u00fas pensaba, a ver si dec\u00eda algo rebelde contra Pilato o Roma. De cualquier manera, Jes\u00fas no muerde el anzuelo. Como vemos tan a menudo en los Evangelios, Jes\u00fas en cambio usa la oportunidad para desafiar lo que la gente cree que sabe acerca de Dios y de s\u00ed mismos.<\/p>\n
En aquel tiempo, la gente cre\u00eda que tragedias como la masacre de los galileos o el colapso mortal de \u201cla torre de Silo\u00e9\u201d (v. 4) que mat\u00f3 a 18 personas no hab\u00edan sido meros accidentes; eran, como escribe un erudito b\u00edblico, \u201cla paga del pecado\u201d. La violencia de los tiranos, el costo humano de los desastres, los estragos de las enfermedades \u2014todo esto era visto como las consecuencias intencionales impuestas por Dios porque las v\u00edctimas hab\u00edan pecado. En pocas palabras, ellos cre\u00edan que los que mor\u00edan hab\u00edan recibido lo que merec\u00edan.<\/p>\n
Esa misma mentalidad teol\u00f3gica persiste hoy. Una encuesta de estadounidenses de 2017 encontr\u00f3 que los cristianos tienen casi el doble de probabilidades de creer que la pobreza es el resultado de las fallas morales personales de los individuos.<\/p>\n
El testimonio b\u00edblico en Lucas pinta una perspectiva diferente. Jes\u00fas pregunta deliberadamente a la multitud si los galileos asesinados por Pilato y las personas que murieron por el colapso de la torre eran peores pecadores u ofensores que otra gente. Es una pregunta ret\u00f3rica que Jes\u00fas dirige a su audiencia. Por supuesto, no eran ni peores pecadores ni ofensores m\u00e1s atroces. El gobierno injusto de los tiranos no est\u00e1 reservado para los peores pecadores, ni los desastres esperan hasta que las personas m\u00e1s inmorales est\u00e9n en riesgo.<\/p>\n
Hasta ahora, en esta temporada de Cuaresma, hemos estado reflexionando sobre lo que significa estar en el desierto, caminando hacia la promesa que Dios tiene reservada. Este encuentro entre Jes\u00fas y la multitud, que comenz\u00f3 en Lucas 12 y contin\u00faa en Lucas 13, es una oportunidad conmovedora para continuar esta reflexi\u00f3n. Las preguntas ret\u00f3ricas de Jes\u00fas sobre la violencia y el desastre nos desaf\u00edan a considerar nuestra propia vulnerabilidad y responsabilidad a medida que nos abrimos camino en el mundo.<\/p>\n
La pregunta de Jes\u00fas le recuerda a la multitud que la tragedia y el trauma no esperan a que las personas moralmente rectas salgan del peligro; todos somos vulnerables mientras atravesamos un desierto plagado de injusticia, violencia, hambre y pobreza. La superioridad que podemos sentir sobre los dem\u00e1s no es ni verdadera ni significativa. En Lucas, Jes\u00fas nos recuerda que todos hemos pecado y hemos sido privados de la gloria de Dios. Y, lo que es m\u00e1s importante, ni Pilato ni la torre de Silo\u00e9 esperaron para asegurarse de que los m\u00e1s indignos estuvieran en riesgo antes de matar a la multitud.<\/p>\n
Podr\u00edamos decir lo mismo sobre el hambre y la pobreza hoy: ninguna cantidad de trabajo duro puede superar en \u00faltima instancia un sistema injusto. Como han demostrado los estudios, incluso los candidatos m\u00e1s calificados para puestos de trabajo pueden verse bloqueados por sistemas arraigados en prejuicios. Ni la pureza moral ni una conciencia limpia pueden deshacer el impacto da\u00f1ino de la discriminaci\u00f3n en la vivienda que deja a algunas comunidades m\u00e1s vulnerables a las inundaciones o tormentas que otras. El hambre no es el resultado de fallas morales personales, sino un riesgo que todos corremos en un mundo que todav\u00eda anhela que Dios cumpla la promesa de que todos ser\u00e1n alimentados.<\/p>\n
Sin embargo, los estudios muestran patrones claros en la distribuci\u00f3n del hambre y la pobreza en los Estados Unidos y en todo el mundo. La realidad es que no todos somos igualmente vulnerables al hambre o la pobreza, ni somos vulnerables de la misma manera. La discriminaci\u00f3n en el empleo hace que asegurar empleos sea m\u00e1s dif\u00edcil para los candidatos de color, incluso si est\u00e1n m\u00e1s calificados que los candidatos que son blancos. La discriminaci\u00f3n de g\u00e9nero hace que controlar la tierra y obtener pr\u00e9stamos para iniciar un negocio sea m\u00e1s dif\u00edcil para las mujeres. A menudo el financiamiento p\u00fablico es desviado hacia comunidades que ya son financieramente seguras y lejos de las comunidades que est\u00e1n en riesgo. Cada una de estas inequidades aumenta la vulnerabilidad de una persona, y el hambre cambia de una situaci\u00f3n incidental a una realidad arraigada.<\/p>\n
Mientras reflexionamos en nuestra vulnerabilidad en el desierto, el mensaje de Jes\u00fas en la lectura del Evangelio nos impulsa a reflexionar en nuestra propia responsabilidad, llam\u00e1ndonos a examinar qu\u00e9 \u201cfruto\u201d, si es que hay alguno, estamos produciendo. \u00bfEst\u00e1 el trabajo que hacemos en el mundo reduciendo nuestra vulnerabilidad compartida o aument\u00e1ndola? \u00bfC\u00f3mo est\u00e1n nuestras leyes, pol\u00edticas y pr\u00e1cticas haciendo del \u201cdesierto\u201d un lugar menos peligroso para nosotros y nuestro pr\u00f3jimo?<\/p>\n
Las ense\u00f1anzas que Jes\u00fas ofrece en Lucas 12 y 13 se basan en temas de anticipaci\u00f3n y vigilancia. Las pr\u00e1cticas de arrepentimiento y reconciliaci\u00f3n que \u00e9l promueve (ver Lucas 12:13-15 y 57-58) son parte de la identidad de un pueblo que mira hacia el reino venidero de Dios, prepar\u00e1ndose para un mundo que ya no es un desierto, sino una expresi\u00f3n plena de la promesa de Dios.<\/p>\n
Como iglesia estamos llamados a anticipar este futuro prometido. En nuestra confesi\u00f3n nos enfrentamos a la distancia que hay entre d\u00f3nde estamos y qui\u00e9nes somos ahora, y d\u00f3nde estamos llamados a estar y qui\u00e9nes estamos llamados a ser. En nuestra comisi\u00f3n damos testimonio de lo que sabemos por fe: que las realidades mort\u00edferas de un Pilato violento, torres que se caen e injusticias que causan hambre no deben existir. Estas realidades no son m\u00e1s parte del plan de Dios para nosotros ahora de lo que son parte de su plan para nuestro futuro.<\/p>\n
Mientras caminamos juntos en el desierto esta Cuaresma, las palabras de Jes\u00fas nos recuerdan lo que significa ser vulnerables, ser responsables y dar testimonio del futuro que sabemos que Dios tiene reservado.<\/p>\n
Preguntas para la reflexi\u00f3n<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- \u00bfQu\u00e9 situaciones o circunstancias han dejado a su comunidad sinti\u00e9ndose vulnerable? \u00bfC\u00f3mo le ayuda la fe en Dios a navegar los momentos en que se siente impotente o en riesgo?<\/li>\n
- Considere algunas de las observaciones acerca del hambre y la pobreza de la sesi\u00f3n de estudio de esta semana. \u00bfCu\u00e1les son algunos de los factores que hacen que nuestro pr\u00f3jimo y nosotros nos volvamos vulnerables al hambre y la pobreza?<\/li>\n
- En las lecturas de esta semana, \u00bfqu\u00e9 dice Jes\u00fas sobre lo que significa ser el pueblo de Dios?<\/li>\n
- Como luteranos creemos que somos salvados por gracia a pesar de nuestro propio pecado. \u00bfC\u00f3mo la verdad de la gracia cambia la forma en que nos relacionamos con nuestros vecinos, especialmente los que enfrentan el hambre y la pobreza?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Oraci\u00f3n<\/strong><\/p>\nAmoroso Dios, enviaste a tu Hijo para salvarnos cuando no pod\u00edamos salvarnos a nosotros mismos. Sin embargo, todav\u00eda luchamos por salvarnos a nosotros mismos. Perd\u00f3nanos por las maneras en que hemos dividido tu mundo de gracia seg\u00fan nuestras propias falsas ideas de m\u00e9rito o valor. Recu\u00e9rdanos el amor misericordioso que nos crea, salva y sustenta. Mu\u00e9venos a ser testigos de tu gracia en el mundo y a buscar nuevas formas de compartirla con nuestro pr\u00f3jimo. Oramos en tu amoroso nombre, am\u00e9n.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving Lent 2022 In English and en Espanol Week 3: Vulnerable in the Wilderness \u201cO God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water\u201d (Psalm 63:1) Read Isaiah […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":191,"featured_media":5437,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-post"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Lent Reflection 3: Wandering in the Wilderness - ELCA World Hunger<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Join ELCA World Hunger this third week of Lent to learn about creating a just world where all are fed while we journey in the wilderness\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worldhunger\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lent Reflection 3: Wandering in the Wilderness - ELCA World Hunger\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Join ELCA World Hunger this third week of Lent to learn about creating a just world where all are fed while we journey in the wilderness\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worldhunger\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ELCA World Hunger\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-03-21T15:15:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-03-28T15:26:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/worldhunger\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2022\/03\/3.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"elcaworldhunger\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"elcaworldhunger\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"elcaworldhunger\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f0bbd071b1e6029ad346ebfc1eeb36ce\"},\"headline\":\"Lent Reflection 3: Wandering in the Wilderness\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-03-21T15:15:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-03-28T15:26:17+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2851,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/52\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/3.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Post\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.elca.org\\\/worldhunger\\\/lent-reflection-3-vulnerable-in-the-wilderness\\\/\",\"name\":\"Lent Reflection 3: Wandering in the Wilderness - 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Pray<\/h4>\n
Loving God, you sent your Son to save us when we could not save ourselves. Yet we still strive to save ourselves. Forgive us for the ways we have divided your world of grace according to our own false ideas of worth. Remind us of the gracious love that creates, saves and sustains us. Move us to be witnesses of your grace in the world and to seek new ways of sharing that with our neighbors. In your loving name we pray, amen.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
SEMANA 3: Vulnerables en el desierto<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cOh Dios, t\u00fa eres mi Dios; yo te busco intensamente. Mi alma tiene sed de ti; todo mi ser te anhela, cual tierra seca, extenuada y sedienta\u201d (Salmo 63:1). La lectura del Evangelio para el tercer domingo de Cuaresma es un desaf\u00edo. Jes\u00fas est\u00e1 hablando en una gran reuni\u00f3n (de \u201cmiles\u201d, como leemos en Lucas 12) y est\u00e1 abarcando mucho terreno teol\u00f3gico. En el cap\u00edtulo 13, un grupo de la multitud comparte con \u00e9l noticias de \u201cc\u00f3mo Pilato hab\u00eda dado muerte a unos galileos cuando ellos ofrec\u00edan sus sacrificios\u201d (13:1). El acontecimiento no merece que Lucas lo describa con m\u00e1s detalle, pero la imagen que el escritor del Evangelio pinta en solo unas pocas palabras es horrible. Mientras realizaban una ceremonia religiosa, un grupo de jud\u00edos galileos hab\u00edan sido masacrados por los soldados de Pilato.<\/p>\n No tenemos registro de este suceso en otras fuentes, pero s\u00ed sabemos que, tr\u00e1gicamente, no habr\u00eda sido extra\u00f1o al car\u00e1cter de Pilato. De hecho, el fin del gobierno de Pilato en Judea se produjo a partir de un incidente similar, cuando Pilato orden\u00f3 a sus soldados que masacraran a un grupo de samaritanos en el Monte Gerizim mientras se reun\u00edan para una ceremonia religiosa.<\/p>\n Tal vez la gente le mencion\u00f3 a Jes\u00fas el acontecimiento para tratar de enga\u00f1arlo, como muchos otros lo hab\u00edan intentado antes. O tal vez estaban tratando de averiguar lo que Jes\u00fas pensaba, a ver si dec\u00eda algo rebelde contra Pilato o Roma. De cualquier manera, Jes\u00fas no muerde el anzuelo. Como vemos tan a menudo en los Evangelios, Jes\u00fas en cambio usa la oportunidad para desafiar lo que la gente cree que sabe acerca de Dios y de s\u00ed mismos.<\/p>\n En aquel tiempo, la gente cre\u00eda que tragedias como la masacre de los galileos o el colapso mortal de \u201cla torre de Silo\u00e9\u201d (v. 4) que mat\u00f3 a 18 personas no hab\u00edan sido meros accidentes; eran, como escribe un erudito b\u00edblico, \u201cla paga del pecado\u201d. La violencia de los tiranos, el costo humano de los desastres, los estragos de las enfermedades \u2014todo esto era visto como las consecuencias intencionales impuestas por Dios porque las v\u00edctimas hab\u00edan pecado. En pocas palabras, ellos cre\u00edan que los que mor\u00edan hab\u00edan recibido lo que merec\u00edan.<\/p>\n Esa misma mentalidad teol\u00f3gica persiste hoy. Una encuesta de estadounidenses de 2017 encontr\u00f3 que los cristianos tienen casi el doble de probabilidades de creer que la pobreza es el resultado de las fallas morales personales de los individuos.<\/p>\n El testimonio b\u00edblico en Lucas pinta una perspectiva diferente. Jes\u00fas pregunta deliberadamente a la multitud si los galileos asesinados por Pilato y las personas que murieron por el colapso de la torre eran peores pecadores u ofensores que otra gente. Es una pregunta ret\u00f3rica que Jes\u00fas dirige a su audiencia. Por supuesto, no eran ni peores pecadores ni ofensores m\u00e1s atroces. El gobierno injusto de los tiranos no est\u00e1 reservado para los peores pecadores, ni los desastres esperan hasta que las personas m\u00e1s inmorales est\u00e9n en riesgo.<\/p>\n Hasta ahora, en esta temporada de Cuaresma, hemos estado reflexionando sobre lo que significa estar en el desierto, caminando hacia la promesa que Dios tiene reservada. Este encuentro entre Jes\u00fas y la multitud, que comenz\u00f3 en Lucas 12 y contin\u00faa en Lucas 13, es una oportunidad conmovedora para continuar esta reflexi\u00f3n. Las preguntas ret\u00f3ricas de Jes\u00fas sobre la violencia y el desastre nos desaf\u00edan a considerar nuestra propia vulnerabilidad y responsabilidad a medida que nos abrimos camino en el mundo.<\/p>\n La pregunta de Jes\u00fas le recuerda a la multitud que la tragedia y el trauma no esperan a que las personas moralmente rectas salgan del peligro; todos somos vulnerables mientras atravesamos un desierto plagado de injusticia, violencia, hambre y pobreza. La superioridad que podemos sentir sobre los dem\u00e1s no es ni verdadera ni significativa. En Lucas, Jes\u00fas nos recuerda que todos hemos pecado y hemos sido privados de la gloria de Dios. Y, lo que es m\u00e1s importante, ni Pilato ni la torre de Silo\u00e9 esperaron para asegurarse de que los m\u00e1s indignos estuvieran en riesgo antes de matar a la multitud.<\/p>\n Podr\u00edamos decir lo mismo sobre el hambre y la pobreza hoy: ninguna cantidad de trabajo duro puede superar en \u00faltima instancia un sistema injusto. Como han demostrado los estudios, incluso los candidatos m\u00e1s calificados para puestos de trabajo pueden verse bloqueados por sistemas arraigados en prejuicios. Ni la pureza moral ni una conciencia limpia pueden deshacer el impacto da\u00f1ino de la discriminaci\u00f3n en la vivienda que deja a algunas comunidades m\u00e1s vulnerables a las inundaciones o tormentas que otras. El hambre no es el resultado de fallas morales personales, sino un riesgo que todos corremos en un mundo que todav\u00eda anhela que Dios cumpla la promesa de que todos ser\u00e1n alimentados.<\/p>\n Sin embargo, los estudios muestran patrones claros en la distribuci\u00f3n del hambre y la pobreza en los Estados Unidos y en todo el mundo. La realidad es que no todos somos igualmente vulnerables al hambre o la pobreza, ni somos vulnerables de la misma manera. La discriminaci\u00f3n en el empleo hace que asegurar empleos sea m\u00e1s dif\u00edcil para los candidatos de color, incluso si est\u00e1n m\u00e1s calificados que los candidatos que son blancos. La discriminaci\u00f3n de g\u00e9nero hace que controlar la tierra y obtener pr\u00e9stamos para iniciar un negocio sea m\u00e1s dif\u00edcil para las mujeres. A menudo el financiamiento p\u00fablico es desviado hacia comunidades que ya son financieramente seguras y lejos de las comunidades que est\u00e1n en riesgo. Cada una de estas inequidades aumenta la vulnerabilidad de una persona, y el hambre cambia de una situaci\u00f3n incidental a una realidad arraigada.<\/p>\n Mientras reflexionamos en nuestra vulnerabilidad en el desierto, el mensaje de Jes\u00fas en la lectura del Evangelio nos impulsa a reflexionar en nuestra propia responsabilidad, llam\u00e1ndonos a examinar qu\u00e9 \u201cfruto\u201d, si es que hay alguno, estamos produciendo. \u00bfEst\u00e1 el trabajo que hacemos en el mundo reduciendo nuestra vulnerabilidad compartida o aument\u00e1ndola? \u00bfC\u00f3mo est\u00e1n nuestras leyes, pol\u00edticas y pr\u00e1cticas haciendo del \u201cdesierto\u201d un lugar menos peligroso para nosotros y nuestro pr\u00f3jimo?<\/p>\n Las ense\u00f1anzas que Jes\u00fas ofrece en Lucas 12 y 13 se basan en temas de anticipaci\u00f3n y vigilancia. Las pr\u00e1cticas de arrepentimiento y reconciliaci\u00f3n que \u00e9l promueve (ver Lucas 12:13-15 y 57-58) son parte de la identidad de un pueblo que mira hacia el reino venidero de Dios, prepar\u00e1ndose para un mundo que ya no es un desierto, sino una expresi\u00f3n plena de la promesa de Dios.<\/p>\n Como iglesia estamos llamados a anticipar este futuro prometido. En nuestra confesi\u00f3n nos enfrentamos a la distancia que hay entre d\u00f3nde estamos y qui\u00e9nes somos ahora, y d\u00f3nde estamos llamados a estar y qui\u00e9nes estamos llamados a ser. En nuestra comisi\u00f3n damos testimonio de lo que sabemos por fe: que las realidades mort\u00edferas de un Pilato violento, torres que se caen e injusticias que causan hambre no deben existir. Estas realidades no son m\u00e1s parte del plan de Dios para nosotros ahora de lo que son parte de su plan para nuestro futuro.<\/p>\n Mientras caminamos juntos en el desierto esta Cuaresma, las palabras de Jes\u00fas nos recuerdan lo que significa ser vulnerables, ser responsables y dar testimonio del futuro que sabemos que Dios tiene reservado.<\/p>\n Preguntas para la reflexi\u00f3n<\/strong><\/p>\n Oraci\u00f3n<\/strong><\/p>\n Amoroso Dios, enviaste a tu Hijo para salvarnos cuando no pod\u00edamos salvarnos a nosotros mismos. Sin embargo, todav\u00eda luchamos por salvarnos a nosotros mismos. Perd\u00f3nanos por las maneras en que hemos dividido tu mundo de gracia seg\u00fan nuestras propias falsas ideas de m\u00e9rito o valor. Recu\u00e9rdanos el amor misericordioso que nos crea, salva y sustenta. Mu\u00e9venos a ser testigos de tu gracia en el mundo y a buscar nuevas formas de compartirla con nuestro pr\u00f3jimo. Oramos en tu amoroso nombre, am\u00e9n.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving Lent 2022 In English and en Espanol Week 3: Vulnerable in the Wilderness \u201cO God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water\u201d (Psalm 63:1) Read Isaiah […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":191,"featured_media":5437,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-post"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nLecturas: Isa\u00edas 55:1-9; Salmo 63:1-8; 1 Corintios 10:1-13; Lucas 13:1-9<\/p>\n\n