I Am the Way: Building Towers from Stones

When the way is hard, we advocate for oppressed. When the way is hard, we interrupt the cycles of harm and pain caused to others. When the way is hard, we practice forgiveness. We practice letting go. Forgiveness is not is not weakness. It's a resistance to evil. When the way is hard, we create communities and include, you know, inclusive community where everyone feels to belong. And that way will be the stones that shines and that have built a tower for the presence of God to be felt on earth. [01:02:16] (49 seconds)  #ForgivenessIsResistance

You know, we are told that and even as we confess in our in our faith confession, we say that he's seated at the right hand of God, the father almighty. Stephen did not see a seated Christ. Stephen saw a standing Christ. This poster of Christ's innovation of Stephen signifies solidarity, signifies courage, signifies and advocacy without fear. Christ is standing. The way is in solidarity with you. The way may seem dawny. The way may seem tough and rough, but the way is in solidarity with us when we choose to walk the way. [00:55:27] (61 seconds)  #ChristStandsWithUs

Let's look up to the path that seems when the path seems uncertain, when the climbing seems so steep, when the heart of mercy and justice requires courage, When the love and mercy feels costly, we can't sponsor that. We are called to look up and see the vision and see the way. When the stones are thrown to us, do not return them. Transform them. Make a tower. Build a tower. Call the easterners, the westerners, the northern, the South. Let them see us from the town as we speak about the way. [01:07:10] (60 seconds)  #TurnStonesIntoTowers

The Jesus of John in this time doesn't tell the people, the disciples, doesn't tell us. You know? This is the way, you know, when you are asking someone the direction, they will tell you, you know, follow this route, take that corner, go this way. Jesus doesn't know that's the doesn't set up the way. Jesus says, I am the way. So in this context, the way is the person, Jesus. Jesus doesn't point unto the way. Jesus embodies the way. [00:50:39] (40 seconds)  #JesusIsTheWay

So Jesus requires us to trust the way, not to trust the map, not to trust the Google map, but the way, Christ himself. In the context of John, it was a time of crisis just like now. It was in a time of crisis, in a time of persecution, in the time of fear and terror. And these ones are brought forward to comfort the people. The disciples in the time of John did not know the way as, you know, Christ as, you know, someone whom you would follow with comfort. [00:51:19] (57 seconds)  #TrustTheWayNotTheMap

From that that tower, let the world see and smile. From that tower, let the world know the way and feel good to live to lead the way. Build a tower, and building a tower is to confront the systemic sin of injustices. To build a tower is to do the act of mercy by abiding the compassion of God. Building the tower with those Huggies stones is to be present, to refuse to abandon what is good and what is godly. [01:01:05] (44 seconds)  #BuildATowerOfJustice

Stife Stephen's final words echoes Christ. Stephen said, Lord, do not hold this sin against them. These are that's not just passive resignation to say that, you know, Christ take my spirit. No. They are ones of active grace. Don't take this don't hold this sin against them. Humanly speaking, if I was stiffened maybe, I would say God crushed them. And you know you are seeing the Christ is right there. You are seeing that Christ in the vision, but you say, don't hold that sin against them. [01:03:04] (45 seconds)  #ActiveGraceForgiveness

We kept going and singing, and the walking became easier, and we made it through the journey. So this morning, same way the ones of God or the the ones of Christ through John proclaims that do not let your heart be troubled. Do not let your heart be troubled. I am the way, the truth, and the life. This is not just a merely declaration, just a mere wants of comfort, but the godly wants that we shouldn't let our hearts be troubled. [00:49:57] (42 seconds)  #IAmTheWayTruthAndLife

When the stones are thrown to us, do not return them. Transform them. Make a tower. Build a tower. Call the easterners, the westerners, the northern, the South. Let them see us from the town as we speak about the way. And so we got to go because the way is meant for us to go, not to sit, but to walk, to run, to roll, to crawl, but not remain statics static because the grace by which we are called is not static. [01:07:41] (56 seconds)

Jesus doesn't point unto the way. Jesus embodies the way. So Jesus requires us to trust the way, not to trust the map, not to trust the Google map, but the way, Christ himself. In the context of John, it was a time of crisis just like now. It was in a time of crisis, in a time of persecution, in the time of fear and terror. And these ones are brought forward to comfort the people. [00:51:12] (49 seconds)

From that that tower, let the world see and smile. From that tower, let the world know the way and feel good to live to lead the way. Build a tower, and building a tower is to confront the systemic sin of injustices. To build a tower is to do the act of mercy by abiding the compassion of God. Building the tower with those Huggies stones is to be present, to refuse to abandon what is good and what is godly. [01:01:04] (45 seconds)

From that that tower, let the world see and smile. From that tower, let the world know the way and feel good to live to lead the way. Build a tower, and building a tower is to confront the systemic sin of injustices. To build a tower is to do the act of mercy by abiding the compassion of God. Building the tower with those Huggies stones is to be present, to refuse to abandon what is good and what is godly. [01:01:04] (45 seconds)