Like the rest of you, we've been shoveling, scraping, and salting all that fun white stuff. (At least the kids think it's fun. I'm not so sure.) It is certainly a lot of work to unbury the car and head out to work on a snowy morning. At least I'm not still living in Chicago.
One of the controversies that has developed in our borough and in cities all over has been the business of saving a parking space for yourself. After all, you spend an hour digging out your car, you deserve to have a parking space when you return. It's only fair. So you put a chair in the space to reserve it for later. Cities are starting to crack down on this practice, giving tickets to people who mark their spaces. And the cry has gone up "it's not fair."
It's not fair. But "fair" is not what Jesus preached. As we're working through the Sermon on the Mount this February (Matthew Chapters 5 through 7) I'm struck that many of the words are pertinent to our icy controversy. "If anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile." (Matthew 6:40-41, NRSV)
If people need our parking space, we let them have it. Maybe we make a practice of working with our neighbors to dig out everybody's car. How would our community if we released ourselves from concerns about what's mine, and what's fair?
Peace,
Pastor Lisa
One of the controversies that has developed in our borough and in cities all over has been the business of saving a parking space for yourself. After all, you spend an hour digging out your car, you deserve to have a parking space when you return. It's only fair. So you put a chair in the space to reserve it for later. Cities are starting to crack down on this practice, giving tickets to people who mark their spaces. And the cry has gone up "it's not fair."
It's not fair. But "fair" is not what Jesus preached. As we're working through the Sermon on the Mount this February (Matthew Chapters 5 through 7) I'm struck that many of the words are pertinent to our icy controversy. "If anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile." (Matthew 6:40-41, NRSV)
If people need our parking space, we let them have it. Maybe we make a practice of working with our neighbors to dig out everybody's car. How would our community if we released ourselves from concerns about what's mine, and what's fair?
Peace,
Pastor Lisa
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