#look at what is being done to them and realize that you’re lining Israeli pockets to make that happen every time you get ur fucking starbies

[soullessjack]

boycott fatigue is actually the stupidest fucking thing ever because how in the ever loving fuck are you experiencing “fatigue” from not going to Starbucks. how is not watching rushed cgi on disney+ and not eating a breaded slime nugget at McDonald’s “fatiguing” you. genuinely how fucking dare this even exist as a concept. entire bloodlines, children, newborns are dying slow and bloody and all of these companies are giving Israel the money to do that. they’re using YOUR fucking money to do this. and look, practically every war has been funded out of our pockets by a means we can’t fight around. almost all of the food and drink we have in the states is owned by some large corporation that makes it fucking impossible to not give them money because they are the sole providers. I understand there are some things we can’t boycott because of our own needs. but this isn’t basic needs that we are being asked to boycott. it’s fucking Disney+ and McDonald’s and Starbucks and a whole slew of luxuries that you’re not only capable of living without, but would actually be better off entirely without.

there’s been a lot of talk about how privileged we are to only be witnessing this human rights atrocity through phones or news and being able to get away from it with a button click and that’s entirely real, but the fact that somebody out here just felt soooo inconvenienced by not going to a drive thru for overpriced garbage that they literally coined the phrase “boycott fatigue,” is probably the biggest load of privileged dog shit I’ve seen in the past few days. do you want to know who’s actually experiencing fatigue right now? the millions of displaced families in Gaza without homes anymore. without any clean water to drink because it’s either been poisoned by the Israelis or contaminated with their peoples’ blood. the children without enough food to get by, or without any food at all. the injured and sick and disabled Palestinians who don’t have access to any medical aid for themselves because their hospitals and fuel trucks are being bombed. these people who have absolutely nothing but each other, and not even that in the worst circumstances, who can only keep walking for days on end, hungry and thirsty and in pain and unable to do anything about it. that is real fucking fatigue.

I understand we’re all seeing war crimes and death and atrocities that nobody should ever have to see and yes it’s difficult to process, but the people of Palestine are experiencing these atrocities in real time, every day, every hour. every ten fucking minutes a child dies. They aren’t even asking for help anymore. They’re only asking to be witnessed and remembered and for us to stop going to places that actively fund their deaths and you’re saying you just can’t because you’re exhausted by not going to that place? I know we’re all born and raised in a consumerist hellscape but you seriously need to get a fucking reality check if offering the bare minimum support to a dying people is ‘fatiguing’ to you. Jesus fucking Christ.

[dailyaudiobible]

10/02/2020 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 66:1-24, Philippians 3:4-21, Psalms 74:1-23, Proverbs 24:15-16

Today is October 2nd welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I'm Brian it’s great to be here with you today as we move forward and take the next step through the Scriptures, and yeah we’re at the beginning of a new month and a new quarter. And, so, we’re just getting oved in and an understanding of where we are and doing what we talked about yesterday, thinking about finishing well, finishing strong in a…in a year that has done a lot to challenge us. So, let's dive in. And we’re working our way through the book of Isaiah, and we've actually reached the conclusion. Today will be our final day in the book of Isaiah for this year. We’re reading from the Lexham English Bible this week. Isaiah chapter 66.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in Philippians today we kinda dropped into the middle of something that was being said that we had finished up with yesterday. And, so, we see Paul kind of doing the boasting thing again where he’s like…he’s kinda forced to boast in order to defend himself from things that people are saying. So, he’d rather not be doing this at all, but he has to do it. And, so, he's saying what he's done. Like, “I was circumcised on the eighth day. I…I’m from…I’m an Israeli. Like, I’m a natural born Hebrew from the tribe of Benjamin. I was a Pharisee. I was so zealous about it I persecuted the church. I was blameless in keeping the law trying to be righteous before God.” And then Pals says, “but all the stuff that I did, it doesn't mean anything to me. It…it's…it's a loss. Like, I count it as a loss because of what I have gained in Christ.” And that juxtaposition is Paul again saying what he has always said in his letters. “I was trying to obey the rules. I threw myself at it wholeheartedly. I wanted to be able to be righteous before God, so that I could one day be welcomed by God, so that one day I would be righteous before God. And, so, I did all the right stuff, but it wasn't going to me there. So, now I realize it was a loss, like I count it as a loss because of what Jesus has shown me since I've met the Lord.” And once again this is Paul trying to say, “the rules are not the relationship. The rules do not come before the relationship to gauge whether there is a relationship.” For Paul that's like backwards, for Jesus as well. The spirit of the whole thing had been lost and so all that was left were rules when the rules were actually a byproduct of a relationship. And basically…I means…here's a way of looking at it. If you're married…even if you're not married you’re gonna understand this…if you're married you don't…you don't dig out your marriage covenant and read it every time you have a fight, right? Every time you have a disagreement you don’t dig out your marriage license and begin reading and say, “wait a minute. These were our vows. This is what we said.” I mean there are times that this needs to happen, but this isn’t what defines the relationship. Love defines the relationship. And when two people are in love than the rules become apparent and you don’t have to like study and ritualize and try to make the relationship work by the rules. If there’s no love there it's going to be pretty tough to do. And this is what Paul is trying to argue. Like he had tried to do this, always knowing his failures because the law showed him his failures, always having an understanding of God being displeased because of his failures. Everybody felt that way. Like nobody could live up to the law. Everybody felt that way on a continual basis just looking for the other shoe to drop. And that's what Paul is trying to say. Like that's not freedom, that's not freedom. Christ came, fulfilled the law, God began a new thing by raising Him from the dead, faith in Jesus makes us righteous before God, fulfills all of those requirements that we think we have to live up to. We are free to be in love with God, free to be in love with God as He is in love with us. Rather than understanding him as an angry deity we now see Him as Father as our Papa as a loving child would refer to their parents. That’s what Paul has been after today. And, so, he says something very famous. “I haven’t achieved that. That's where this is going. We are all on that path. Why would you want to turn from that path and go back into bondage because somebody's telling you something different than what I've been telling you. Let me tell you my credentials.” And then he goes through his credentials. “I have done this.” That’s his point. “I have done this with all of my heart, and it cannot be achieved, but Jesus came and revealed Himself to me and revealed how this actually works. It's a leap of faith and I have not achieved this. I can't achieve this, it can only be achieved inside me by God”, which is the same for all of us. We can't achieve anything. Everything that we have is a gift from God. “So, I haven't achieved it” Paul says, “but I am trying. Like I am doing one thing. I am forgetting the things that have gone behind me and I am pressing toward the things that are ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” And that should do for us what it would've done for the Philippians and what it did for the Philippians. And it encouraged to them. It reminded them. And, so, yeah most of what we just talked about are things we have talked about before, but Paul repeats these things in the letters and the letters got passed around from church to church so people were being continually reminded in those early days, just like we are continually being reminded now because we forget. And in the same way we get back to the rules. We know our failures. We know we can go to the Father and ask forgiveness but we know our failures. And, so, we live sort of waiting for the other shoe to drop. We live feeling as if we don't keep our act together something bad's going to happen when that's simply…at least according to Paul, at least according to Jesus, that's not how this works. And, so, once again we are reminded of God's mercy and grace and we need to press forward because of the deep and growing love of the relationship that we have with God. The rules become apparent. There are things we wouldn't do against our spouse because we love them, and we wouldn't want to break their heart and we wouldn’t want to cause them pain and suffering. There are things that we wouldn't or shouldn't do in our relationship with God for the same reasons because we are committed in a covenantal relationship and in love. Let's remember that as we head into the end of the week.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You. We thank You that You loved us first. There is nothing we can do. There is nothing we have done to earn that. You have loved us and come for us. And this salvation that we are working out in fear and trembling isn't about how often we step out of line. It's about us being aware of what we will not do because we are committed to You, because we are in love with the creator of our souls, with the lover of our souls. So, Holy Spirit come. Make this a reality. May we live into this fully in the name of Jesus we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, it’s the website, it’s where you find out what's going on around here.

Still reeling, not reeling, just still kind of floating from the announcement we made yesterday about China and Ben expecting their first child, their first baby. And the outpouring of love and good wishes and prayers is so encouraging. It’s like a lifting…lifting spirit and we need that. We need…we need our spirits lifted in these days. And, so, thank you for…for that. And thank you for your continued prayers and…and…and just joy we go through this process and through…then through the winter months and into the spring and then as spring brings new life and this spring will bring really new life into our family and so we’re very excited. And thank you. Thank you for your…your love and being a part of life here in community as…as we move forward.

I remind you that the website is home base. And, so, and it's not very complicated. It's actually made to be pretty simple.

There’s a Community section, that’s where you can get connected on social media and that's where the Prayer Wall is. There is a Shop full of resources for the journey through the Bible in a year. And there's Initiatives, things that are going on around here. So, be…be aware. Check it out.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, I can't thank you enough because the reality is if we didn't do this together, we wouldn’t be doing this at all. And, so, so grateful, so humbled that we can take this journey, day by day step-by-step fresh every day moving forward in life together in community. Like this is really happening, we’re really doing this together. And what a joy that is but it wouldn’t happen if we didn't do it together. So, thank you for your partnership. There’s a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. There is a Give button in the Daily Audio Bible app in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement 877-942-4253 is the number to dial or if you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app…and if you’re not you should…you should be…this is the portal into community, there’s a Hotline button in the app, the little red button at the top, No matter where you are in the world you can…I mean that's sittin’ in your pocket. You got a Hotline, you got a way to reach out at any point when your shouldering things that you just can't carry anymore or when you're so full of joy that you just have to tell somebody because that's community. That’s the friendships that we have forged as we've just gone verse by verse page by page, chapter by chapter book by book all the way to here in the Bible. So, you can always reach out there.

And that is it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hello this is Lacey from Cape Cod Massachusetts I’m an elderly woman alone in the world with no family. It’s just me and my precious dog and Jesus and I’ve had some serious serious health issues with my back and I’m severely arthritic but my dear precious dog has been very sick and I beg your prayers that…for healing for her and mercy for me because I just cannot imagine life without her. The loneliness and isolation is just so painful. And before Covid…but now with Covid it’s 10 times worse. She’s my baby and my precious companion and I need her, and I love her. Please pray for mercy. Thank you in Jesus’ name. God bless you all. Thank you. I’ve been listening for over a year…about a year. Bye-bye.

It is September 26th this is joyful Jay from the Everglades. I just want to say thank you DABbers. Thank you, Brian, Jill, China and all who make this daily campfire happen. I’m a longtime listener and very rare caller. Change is coming. My fear of saying the wrong thing is less than my fear of not being known by a community of believers who live fearlessly in loving each other and want to be known by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Oh Lord to let people in, to let people know me, you know this is my struggle. Thank you for opening my year and opening my heart. Thank you to all of those who call in on a regular basis. Your voices, your accents, the cadence in your speech. This is how I’m getting to know you. I will not know you because I can see you, but I will know you because I know your voice. Your words bring me joy and at times lay a heaviness on my heart. Just hearing the different tones, the tunes of all your voices and songs. I am crying as I listen to people saying they prayers. Hearing the songs, hearing the prayers, hearing the encouragement is nourishing to my spirit, leaving me wanting more of this community and a desire to change and desire to be known by you. Thank you, Lord Jesus. This is JB saying thank you for all of you calling in and setting an example of caring for each other in prayer. Have a great day. Blessings in the Lord Jesus. Bye.

Good morning DAB family this is Dawn of a New Day from California calling to lift up our sister Tammy from Canada. Tammy God has you in the palm of His hand as your reaching out, your crying out, your trusting and believing even in the face of not feeling like you can still hold on and trust God. In the name of Jesus, you will not crack, you will not fold, you will not lose your mind. You will get the best sleep you have ever received ever. And Father we give You praise, we give You glory, and we give You honor right here and right now not just for Tammy’s sweet sleep but for every person that has insomnia for every person that feels as if their sleep deprivation is cracking their life God. We trust You are Lord. We lift this ministry up to You God. We lift up every prayer request. We lift up our sister who was invited by her two brothers who is excited to be a part of our DAB family God. We lift up each and every heart the grows in Your word that loves Your word. We lift up every single person that listens and absolutely believes and trusts You more God. I pray that we will spread this word of this ministry, that we would then learn and grow and serve, believe God that we would reach out and reach in and…and absolutely not give up. We love You like never before, and we thank You now for loving us back. We love you Tammy. Your DAB family is calling out your name and glory not just this day but in all the days to come and we will hear your testimony of your breakthrough and sweet sleep. God bless you sister. Thank you for calling in for the first time. DAB family sew a seed of support today. God bless you all.

Good afternoon DAB family this is Lady of Victory on Monday, the 28th of September calling in for Jody who called in for prayer for Desiree, a 15-year-old, I believe, who has been diagnosed with cancer that has metastasized to her lungs and other parts of her body. So, we want to lift her up in prayer. God, we thank You, we glorify You, we magnify You because You alone are worthy to be praised. God what a report to have said about someone so Young who is dealing with all that she’s dealing with God. And yet according to Jodi she is not lost for Jesus joy. Some of us have been diagnosed with a lot less God and we have turned our backs on You. And, so, God we thank You for the joy that Desiree has in You in spite of God the diagnosis. Now God our prayer is that You would heal her on this side of every disease God. We recognize that cancer is a name and You said that at the name of Jesus every knee is going to bow. And, so, God we tell cancer to bow in the name of Jesus. God, and we lift her up before You. We ask that a miracle will be performed for Your daughter. God but if that is not Your perfect will for Desiree’s life God it sounds like she’s ready to meet You and to hear those words good and faithful servant well done. And that’s not what we want God while ultimately that’s all of our desires. God but we want her healed on this side, but we also want Your perfect will to be done and established. Comfort the hearts of those around her God who are lifting her up who have to see her suffer. Do it for Your glory.

Hi, DABbers I may first time call inner just started listening to the Daily Audio Bible this January, it is an answer to prayer, truly. I just wanted to call in because after five years of having Ménière’s disease, it’s a…a vestibular disorder a balance disorder, I was able to, little by little, build up an art business but I got very used to working alone, as hard as it was. And since social distancing has occurred, I’m just having a really hard time I find now connecting with people and I’ve always been so gregarious. And there’s so many winds of doctrine out there I…I don’t feel like I fit anywhere anymore. And I…I know that that’s not God’s will for me, that His will is that I live in community but I’m very, very, very confused and I feel very lost and in a real desert place. Not depressed but lonely but yet I feel that there’s this glass around me that I can’t cross over. Also, if you’ll pray for my son. He’s been an addict for 10 years. He’s living in Philly now in a sober home but he’s…he’s using when he can and just so afraid of him dying. God has kept him for 10 years even as a homeless person and he’s had many, many maybe over 40 rehabs. But I really hope that you hold Jesse up in prayer and for his complete deliverance…

Hi family is Purely Pampered of main. I have an answered prayer praise report to call in. Yesterday we helped my son and his fiancée move into a new apartment about an hour away. My future daughter-in-law found a full-time job and today my son started a two-month temporary job. Right before we left their apartment for the last time, I asked them to indulge me and I thanked God for all the wisdom they gained through the challenges they’ve had these past 2 ½ years living there more than I could never go onto and I prayed that as they closed and locked the door they could let go and leave behind all of the pain and look forward to their new beginning. I told them that hundreds of thousands would be rejoicing with them when I called in this praise report. Thanks to each of you prayed for them and thanks to each of you that took the time to call in and pray for them. I won’t list your names, but you know who you are. I so appreciate you. There’s just no explaining how it feels, for others lifting up my family’s needs. Thank you. Please continue to pray for all of us dealing with transgender pansexual and gender spectrum issues in our families. We so need those prayers. I love you family. Bye for now.

[sariasprincy-writes]

Hollow Point 26

One // Two // Three // Four // Five // Six // Seven // Eight // Nine // Ten // Eleven // Twelve // Thirteen // Fourteen // Fifteen // Sixteen // Seventeen // Eighteen // Nineteen // Twenty // Twenty-One // Twenty-Two // Twenty-Three // Twenty-Four // Twenty-Five // Twenty-Six (here) 

Chapter Twenty-Six Brick by brick

The instant Sakura shifted her car into park, her phone pinged. Killing the engine, she pulled the device from her pocket and unlocked the screen before she pulled up her notifications. Her brow rose when she saw a new message from Itachi.

She hadn’t heard from him in nearly a week. Which if she was being honest, she was okay with that. She still didn’t entirely know what she was doing with him and the space had given her time to breathe. Something she suspected Itachi knew she needed.

Exhaling slowly, Sakura pressed the notification. She didn’t know what she had been expecting, but she was relieved when all she found was the usual message: a single time and location. With the words “plus one.”

Brow furrowing, Sakura wondered who he could be bringing. It didn’t take her long to figure it out: Kisame. The Israeli agent was finally in the States. And judging by Itachi’s text, he was able to meet. Tonight.

Glancing at her watch, Sakura realized she only had a few hours until the time Itachi had given her. She could only hope this meeting wouldn’t take too long.

Without replying, Sakura darkened her phone before she slipped out of the car. Deep bass pounded through the parking lot. Its rhythm matched her footsteps as she approached the heavily guarded night club. Dressed in a black blazer and dark skinny jeans tucked into black, heeled boots, the bouncers took one look at her before they unhooked the red rope keeping the line at bay and let her pass.

Inside was even louder. The deep house music and flashing lights kept the crowd moving and the party going. Sakura took it all in. Eyeing the DJ booth as the musician spun the hot track to the bartender flipping liquor bottles before he poured a line of shots for a group of women at the bar. The floor was made of black marble, the sparkling tiles reflecting the artificial light while the crystal chandelier above made the tall roof glow. There was obviously a lot of money put in here.

Sakura smiled. That was a good sign.

Her gaze continued to wander. To the upper floor where partiers were dancing, to the VIP lounge where those with names or money or both could hang out comfortably.

Her second pass over the bar, Sakura realized she was being watched. In the corner, a man eyed her from over his drink. His gaze neither lusty nor dangerous. He was simply studying her.

This must be who she was looking for.

Crossing the room, Sakura sidled up to him, slipping in the vacant chair beside him. She didn't bother ordering herself a drink. She just turned to the man, taking in his bushy eyebrows and odd, bowl haircut. He was kind of a dorky looking dude in her opinion. But Sakura had learned long ago that weird didn't mean not-dangerous.

"You been waiting for me long?" she asked.

The guy finished his drink through his straw, the loud suction echoing at the bottle of his glass before he set it aside. "Not long."

Sakura just smiled. “Should we meet your friend then?"

“What’s the rush?” he asked with a bold smile. “We have enough time for a drink.”

Eyeing him, she reached across the bar to grab his glass and held it under her nose. She eyed him pointedly. “Coke with a squeeze of lime. You’re not even drinking.”

The man’s smile held in place seamlessly. “Three years sober. I'm a recovering alcoholic,” he admitted.

“I'm just an alcoholic,” Sakura returned with a smile before she pulled out some cash and slipped it under his drink. “This one's on me. You can buy next time.”

If possible, his smile widened. “Lee,” he introduced.

“Tsunade.”

He shook her hand before he slid off the barstool and gestured towards the far side of the club. “Let's go then. My partner doesn't like to be kept waiting.”

Sakura shot Lee a mildly unamused look but decided against pointing out that it was him that kept them waiting. She followed him towards the far wall towards a set of stairs guarded by bouncers on either side. At the top was a door that he opened without knocking.

It led to a room that overlooked the entire club. Glass windows kept most of the music at bay, but the heavy bass still thumped beneath Sakura's boots. On the opposite wall from the windows was a full bar with a single bartender. He didn’t glance in their direction as he mixed a drink for the only guest in the room.

A young woman only a few years older than Sakura sat behind the only table in the room. Even without the knife and sharpener in her hand, she looked intimidating. Her brown hair was up in twin buns, her eyeliner winged to a point and she was dressed in a black dress that made her look more dangerous than feminine.

Lee stepped off to one side while Sakura stopped some feet from the table. The two women eyed each other before Sakura nodded towards the stilettos laced intricately around her ankles. "I like your shoes," she said.

The woman paused her sharpening as she looked Sakura over once. Then a smirk curled in the corner of her mouth. "Likewise."

Smiling, Sakura approached the woman as she gestured for Sakura to join her. She lowered herself down in the plush chair across the way and leaned against the comfortable high back as the club lights flickered across the wall above the woman’s head.

“You must be Tsunade.”

Sakura nodded. “I am.”

“My name’s Tenten. But I think you already knew that.”

“Your reputation precedes you. They said you were smart.”

Tenten’s gaze flickered over Sakura’s shoulder, likely to Lee before returning to her, her face a cool mask. “Empty compliments won’t get you far here,” she warned.

However, Sakura just shook her head faintly. “It wasn’t a compliment. I was simply stating a fact.”

Tenten eyed her for a moment. When she found only truth, she sat back and waved her hand at the bartender. He appeared beside the table in an instant, sliding a martini glass into Tenten’s waiting hand.

“Can I get you a drink?” she offered.

“A peach drop.”

With her order given, the bartender returned to the bar. Tenten took a long sip, her perfectly manicured, black nails grasping the delicate stem of her glass, before she set it down on the table.

“So, what can I do for you then, Tsunade?” she asked. Then she continued before Sakura could answer, “You know, you’ve actually been a massive pain in my ass the last year.”

Sakura couldn’t resist smiling faintly. “All unconsciously done. And I’m hoping to right that by this meeting.”

“Oh?” Tenten asked, her frown fading.

“You’ve been in the Underground here for a long time. Longer than anyone. Your knowledge of the area is unmatched.”

A small smile began form in the corner of Tenten’s mouth but before it could fully form it was gone. She reached for her drink again. “What is it that you want?”

“I’m hoping I can borrow some of your expertise,” Sakura said. She accepted her drink from the bartender as he returned with it before he made himself scarce again.

Tenten raised her glass to her lips, her eyes never leaving Sakura’s over the rim. “And why should I help you? You’re in league with Hashirama and Madara. Those two have been giving me grief for nearly a decade. The last thing I want is my guns going into their hands.”

“I’m not looking for weapons,” Sakura told her.

The brunette arched her brow curiously. “You want information.” She went quiet when Sakura nodded. Then she shook her head. “I’m still not interested. Simply your relationship to them could threaten my own business and my relationships–”

“I understand you have a reputation and image to uphold, but what would you say, theoretically of course, if I was to help you with your Hashirama problem?” Sakura interrupted quietly.

This time, Tenten’s drink stilled just before her lips. She cocked her brow curiously. “What did you have in mind?”

“There’s a small warehouse to the North Hashirama owns, guarded by a handful of men with some crates that may be of use to you.” Then Sakura smiled. “Or so I hear.”

Tenten peered at her for a long moment before she gazed over Sakura’s shoulder to Lee. There were no words exchanged between them and with Lee still somewhere behind Sakura, she didn’t know what might have passed over his face.

Then Tenten’s gaze returned to her. “And what would you want in return for this information? Theoretically.”

“Nothing. Consider it a show of good faith,” Sakura said. And in her tone, there were no lies or ulterior motives. Simply truth.

Tenten must have realized that for a smile began to curl over her lips. “Then perhaps there is a future business relationship between us after all.”

Sakura’s answer was a pleased smile before she raised her glass to cheers it against Tenten’s. “I sincerely hope so.”

xx

Sakura was late. She glanced at her watch for the umpteenth time, only to sigh when she found she was nearly half an hour behind schedule. She checked her phone again, ensuring she was in the right place before pocketing it once more.

This late at night, the streets outside the abandoned shipping yard were empty. The warehouse just inside the chain-link fence was dark. Only a stray, flickering streetlight to give her at least a little light to see.

She doubted she had anything to fear by this meeting, but she felt for her guns again, double checking that they were in easy reach. All three of them. One on each hip and another in the pocket of her jacket. Though it was Kakashi that gave her the most comfort. She knew he was somewhere nearby keeping a close eye on her. Very close.

Inside the warehouse, in the back near the empty offices, Sakura found Itachi and Kisame. They were speaking quietly, the soft rumble of their voices reaching her ears. It was only when she drew closer that she could make out their conversation.

“You’re sure she’s coming?” Kisame grumbled.

“She’s never not shown before. Just give her a little longer.” That was Itachi.

Sakura couldn’t help her small smirk as she listened to Kisame mutter under his breath. No doubt complaining about her tardiness. It stopped the instant he heard the heels of her boots.

“Evening, gentlemen,” Sakura greeted with a smile as she rounded the corner.

Kisame was leaning against a desk, dressed in a warm coat while Itachi stood some feet away beside him. He looked good in his own dark grey, hooded jacket, the material emphasizing his broad shoulders. He looked relaxed, almost bored with his hands in his pockets, but he straightened slightly when he spotted her.

Not that she could blame him. She had chosen her outfit carefully tonight from her deep purple blouse and leather jacket to her tight jeans and three-inch heels boots. It was an outfit that demanded attention and respect.

Turning her gaze from him, Sakura glanced at Kisame only to realize he had been eyeing her as well. His eyes narrowed as he looked her over critically. “You kill someone tonight, little viper?” he asked suspiciously.

Sakura resisted her frown at the nickname. Instead, she simply shot him a look. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to.”

His eyes narrowed briefly at that but didn’t press further. Instead, he crossed his arms, making his large form seem even bigger. “You’re late.”

“And you didn’t tell us that the port in Old Town is under Akatsuki’s control,” she countered.

“I didn’t know about that,” he said with a small frown. “Itachi caught me up on what’s been going on here. I even looked into it when I returned to Israel. I don’t have any information on the port, so whatever Pein has been planning there, it's been kept quiet.”

Sakura frowned, not entirely happy. “So, you didn’t know that Uchiha Madara works for Akatsuki then?”

“Uchiha?” Kisame repeated, his gaze flickering to Itachi. “I don’t know a Uchiha Madara.”

She glanced at Itachi only to find the corners of his mouth turned down in the barest hints of a frown. Apparently he hadn’t told Kisame that part. And judging by the look on his face, he hadn’t been wanting to go into that much detail just yet.

“Madara is one of my distant cousins,” Itachi said when Kisame continued to stare at him. “He turned traitor against the CIA nearly five years ago by selling information to a lot of people that can cause us a lot of harm. My company and I have been trying to capture him ever since without success.”

“He’s an asshole,” Sakura added. “But worse, he’s powerful and dangerous and smart. He’s turned traitor against the people I’m working with to join Akatsuki.”

Kisame’s eyes drifted between the two of them as they spoke, a thoughtful look on his face. “Is that why you two are working together? You’re trying to combine forces to take this ‘Madara’ down.”

There was something almost nonchalant about Kisame’s tone. It made her eyes narrow minutely, her tone come out a little sharper. “I don’t think you realize how much of a threat he is. It’s going to take all of our resources to bring him down.”

“If he’s such a threat, how come I haven’t heard of him before now?” Kisame asked, still not entirely convinced.

“Because he uses other aliases outside the States,” Itachi interjected before Sakura could speak. “Perhaps you’ve heard of ‘Susanoo’ and ‘Shakujo’? We have information from a source in Egypt that says Madara has been sending shipments to the port in New York Tsunade’s been watching.”

“Susanoo,” Kisame repeated slowly, his brows drawing in. “I have heard that name. I delivered weapons to someone using it nearly two years ago under Pein’s orders.”

Both Itachi and Sakura stared at him. “You’re sure?” Itachi asked.

Sakura frowned when Kisame nodded. “That means Madara has been working for Akatsuki longer than he has Hashirama.”

“What else do you remember?” Itachi asked.

Kisame only shook his head. “Nothing. That was it. As soon as I got payment, I delivered the store and I never heard the name again. But now that I know that’s who you’re looking into, I can try and dig up more information.”

Itachi nodded but said nothing, his gaze distant.

However, Sakura turned back to Kisame as he continued, “There’s one other thing. In the last week, Pein has been gathering more men. I don’t know what for, but if I were to guess, he's building an army. A huge one.”

“He’s planning to expand his territory,” Itachi concluded.

“He’s done it once before, when he took over Cairo. If this port is under Akatsuki’s control, it’s possible New York City is his target,” Kisame told him. Then he shook his head. “But I doubt it. I haven’t heard anything about New York. Though I am curious, how much product has been moved into the States?”

Itachi said nothing as he glanced in Sakura’s direction. She frowned, doing the math in her head. “In just the last month, there’s been a dozen crates shipped. Perhaps more. I don’t know.”

“That’s not enough for a raid.”

“No, but Akatsuki is still planning something,” Itachi said with a frown. “And we need to strike before they do. If Akatsuki does move in, it would take us years, if not decades, to bring them down.”

“I’ll head back to Egypt and see what else I can dig up,” Kisame said, straightening from the desk.

Itachi nodded. “Just don’t do anything too risky.”

Kisame grinned at that. “I’m a double agent. Risky is the only word in the job description.”

The Mossad Officer left after that. Sakura listened to his footsteps echo back at them through the warehouse. Only once it fell quiet again, did she turn to Itachi. “Do you think Kisame will find anything that can help us?”

He shook his head minutely. “I don’t know, but we need him to. He is the only one that can find any information on Akatsuki’s motives. If Akatsuki does plan to move in, the entire country is in danger, not just New York. I know you don’t care about that, but everyone will be uprooted. Criminals and civilians alike. The entire Underground will change. It’ll be a bloodbath.”

That Sakura could agree with. Still, she said nothing. Merely frowned. It seemed like she had a lot more digging to do as well, not just Kisame.

“I should go,” Sakura eventually murmured. “See what I can find on my end.”

Itachi nodded but neither of them made any move to leave. They simply stared at one another. In that moment, she wanted to move towards him, but she knew she couldn’t. There were other things she had to do first.

Forcing herself to take a step back, Sakura turned towards the door. Only to stop when Itachi called her name. “Sakura.”

She glanced over her shoulder at him, finding his expression not quite blank but not emotionless either. He looked like he was warring with himself to not reach out to her. “Will I see you later?” he asked.

Sakura knew she should say no but she nodded before she could stop herself, a small smile curling in the corner of her mouth.

Then she was out the door as well.

xx

That night, Sakura went into the Underground alone. She dug for information, offering any money anyone had on Akatsuki or Madara’s movements. And to her frustration, she found none. There were only vague rumors of new men in the area. Ghosts. Not even her best informants had anything for her.

With nothing to go on, Sakura slipped inside a bar and ordered herself a lemon drop. She sipped her drink slow, letting that sweet, sticky flavor cling to her taste buds before sliding down her throat. She stared at the wall, unseeing. Lost in thought.

She was restless. Like there was something just so obvious she was missing. A puzzle without all the pieces, a map with a hole cut out of the center.

Sighing, Sakura raised her drink to her lips again. She doubted she would be getting any sleep tonight. She thought about going to Itachi’s but couldn’t quite find it within herself to move yet as she wondered what the hell she was doing. Sakura kept telling herself he was CIA. That she shouldn’t be sleeping with him. That there was no way this could end well.

But that still didn’t stop her from wanting it. Wanting him. He was nothing like she had expected. He was uncommonly kind and honest in a world that was so cruel and full of lies. Like a breath of fresh air after being underwater for so long.

With another soft sigh, Sakura downed the rest of her drink. She was just about to order another, something a little stronger, when her phone rang. Fishing it out of her pocket, she stared at it when she found it was from Tenten. Strange, she hadn’t been expecting to hear from the woman for at least a day or two more.

“Tenten,” Sakura answered. “I hope you’re calling me with good news.”

Through the line, Sakura could practically hear her grin. “I am. I found the warehouse Hashirama was using to hoard his little collection. My men made quite a killing tonight,” she said. “I admit I was doubtful of you but you held your word. And I accept your show of good faith.”

“That’s good to hear,” Sakura said, sounding more enthusiastic than she felt.

“Which is why I’m calling you. A gift for a gift if you will. I hear you’re in the market for information on a group called Akatsuki,” she continued.

That made Sakura still. “I’m listening,” she said slowly.

“I got wind of a location they're operating out of. An apartment somewhere in downtown. Though I can’t tell you what you’ll find there. The place is all hush-hush; anyone who knows something about it won’t talk. But I can send you the address if you’re interested-”

“Yes,” Sakura said quickly. Then she cleared her throat, reigning in her excitement. “Yes, I would appreciate it.”

Tenten texted the address to Sakura. It was close. Not very far from the bar she currently sat at, but she knew she couldn’t go in alone. Her thoughts still swam with that dark night Kabuto’s men had put their hands on her.

Sakura sat at the bar a minute longer, weighing her options. Then she set some bills down on the table and stood.

The street Itachi’s townhouse stood on was still when Sakura arrived. Inside was even more so. She moved silently as she slipped her boots off, leaving them in the entryway, before she wandered further inside. It was the middle of the night. Closer to dawn than sunset, but she found Itachi in the living room. Sitting on the very couch they’d had sex on and wearing a simple t-shirt and sweats. He was reading a book but he lowered it the instant he heard her.

“Get dressed,” she told him. When his brow arched, she explained, “I have a new lead on Akatsuki. And I want you to come with me.”

Itachi didn’t ask any questions. He headed upstairs and came back down a few minutes later with a jacket and jeans. It was only once they were in the car did he speak, “When I asked to see you later, this was not exactly what I had in mind.”

She didn't look in his direction as she drove, fighting a small smile. “I know. But this might be important.”

She felt his gaze linger a moment before he asked, “So, what’s this new lead you found?”

“I got word of an apartment Akatsuki has been working out of in downtown. I’m not sure what we’ll find there, if anything at all, but I want to check it out before the trail goes cold.”

“And you trust this source?” he asked. “You're sure we’re not walking into a trap?”

Sakura didn’t think Tenten was setting her up, but she knew anything was possible. “No, I'm not sure,” she admitted. But then she shot him a small smirk. “But that’s why I brought you.”

He stared at her. And a moment later, Sakura realized what she had just implied. That she trusted him. And not just the type of trust where she knew he wouldn’t put a bullet in her back. But the kind where she trusted him enough to watch her back.

It hadn’t been what she meant, but now that it was out there, lingering in the air, she knew it was true. She didn’t quite know how they had gotten to this point, but she knew she couldn’t take the words back. She wouldn’t.

The look that passed over Itachi’s face, something soft and understanding and mutual, made her warm with something she couldn’t name. She couldn’t quite bite back her smile this time and so she turned her attention forward once more. They had to focus.

It was still a few hours before dawn when they arrived at the apartment complex. It was a tall building, likely four units across and four or five wide. Itachi put in a call to Shisui to get the floor plan before they hunkered down in a hotel across the street, directly level with the apartment number Tenten had given Sakura.

They sat there all morning, watching through the windows for any movements within the unit. An hour after dawn, when the morning rush hour was in full swing and the streets were packed with commuters, they decided to make their move.

Sakura and Itachi slipped into the apartment building easily, trailing in after a woman who left to walk her dog before they took the stairs to the fourth floor. There, they found the unit number Sakura had been given.

She picked the lock in less than a minute before she carefully pushed the door open, her gun drawn as she listened for any sounds of movement within the apartment. When she found none, she slipped inside. Itachi was right behind her, sliding the deadbolt back into place.  

They searched the place quickly, only holstering their weapons again when they found it empty. Sakura stopped in the middle of the living room, just taking a moment to look around. The apartment itself was straight out of a magazine. With its black marble floors and high, wooden ceiling, she guessed it was at least a few million dollars, if not more. She didn’t know what she had been expecting, but she hadn’t thought Akatsuki would waste money on granite countertops and gleaming, leather furniture.

Only when she heard Itachi’s footsteps exiting the bedroom did she turn away. “Find anything?” she asked.

He shook his head. “The bedroom is empty. Though, someone definitely lives here. There are clothes in the closet and personal effects in the bathroom.”

Sakura hummed at that but didn’t reply. She thought it unusual someone would be living in one of Akatsuki’s places of business. Perhaps Tenten had heard wrong. But the woman had been working in the Underground for near that of a decade. Sakura knew she would be able to weed out rumor from truth.

Without a word, Sakura went towards the tall, wooden corner cupboard in the corner. She pulled open the doors and began rifling through the things stored in there. She went through it drawer by drawer, only to find it mostly full of useless trinkets and extra blankets. She searched it thoroughly before moving onto the small desk beside it. Somewhere behind her, she heard Itachi doing the same. Searching for any clues, any hints of Akatsuki’s operation or anything having to do with Akatsuki at all.

A few minutes passed before Itachi spoke again. “You need to see this,” he said softly.

Sakura glanced over her shoulder to find he was standing in front of the tall, towering secretary in the corner. He had pulled the long, double cabinet doors open and was staring at whatever he had found there.

It wasn’t until Sakura was beside him that she understood what had grabbed his attention. There was a map of New York City taped to the inside of the wooden doors. Cut in half with the west side on the left and the east on the right. There were two major colors filling in the streets: one red and the other black with a few other miscellaneous shades scattered around.

“What is it?” she asked.

“It’s a map of the Underground,” Itachi told her, looking at the small key in the corner. “The Senju’s empire is in the red and Akatsuki is in black.”

Sakura blinked. “That’s not possible. That would mean Akatsuki has control of a majority of the South side. There’s no way they’ve expanded that much that quickly.”

He didn’t reply as he folded down the middle section of the desk. Inside, there were dozens of papers. Invoices and emails and receipts of payments. They shuffled through them, reading and absorbing everything they could reach.

Beside her, Itachi paused on one page in particular. Sensing something was wrong, she stopped her own reading to look at him. “What is it?”

“You said Akatsuki had shipped in dozens of crates,” he said slowly, scanning through the numbers. “But if this is accurate, it must be closer to hundreds, if not thousands.”

Sakura said nothing as she accepted the papers from him, the furrow between her brows growing deeper and deeper the more she read. “What would they need that many guns for?” she asked. “Hashirama’s influence is strong, but they wouldn’t need that much firepower to take over his territory.”

“Unless Akatsuki is planning more than just taking Hashirama down,” Itachi suggested quietly.

Sakura turned her gaze from the documents to stare at him. “You think they plan to take over New York completely?”

He didn’t immediately reply as he reached for another paper he had already read through. “Look at this. They have paid off politicians, stock brokers, lawyers, high ranking officials,” he listed.

She took it silently, reading through the numbers carefully. “How is it possible they have this many resources in New York? All without the CIA or the FBI or anyone knowing about it?”

“Because look at the date,” Itachi said, his voice deeply troubled. “These pre-date Madara’s betrayal from the CIA. He paid most of these people off long before he even left the company.”

Sakura opened her mouth but nothing came out. It felt like a bomb had just been dropped on her and she was watching the mushroom cloud grow larger and larger above her. She couldn’t speak, she could barely think as she stared at the massive amounts of documents spread out of the desk before them, wondering how it was possible they could have missed so much.

No one would believe this. She barely believed it herself. But the evidence was laid out before her.

On a whim, Sakura pulled out her phone and began snapping photos. Taking pictures of the map, the emails and invoices scattered about. Anything and everything she could get her hands on.

Until she came upon another stack of papers. A number of emails between Pein and someone referring to themselves simply as “Leader”. A lump settled in the pit of Sakura’s stomach as realization dawned on her. It suddenly made sense why it had been so hard to prove Madara was in league with Akatsuki, why Kisame had never heard his name used before even between other members.

“Pein isn’t the true leader of Akatsuki,” she murmured.

Beside her, Itachi stood just as still, his eyes glued to another document. “No,” he murmured, so softly she nearly missed his tone of quiet apprehension. “It’s Madara. And this is his apartment.”

That’s when they heard the unmistakable sound of the deadbolt sliding out of place.

to be continued…

[gracewithducks]

Zacchaeus, too, is a Son of Abraham (Luke 19:1-10) - Sunday School Stories #8, preached 10/27/2019

At more than 250 meters below sea level, Jericho is the lowest town on earth, and it also considers itself the oldest city on earth. The first people to settle here made their homes in Jericho something like eleven thousand years ago, settling around a powerful spring, which enables life to thrive in the wilderness, not far from the Dead Sea.

 The city is mentioned many times in the bible, perhaps most famously as the first town captured by Joshua and the Hebrews as they left the desert and entered the Promised Land; the story goes that the people marched around the city walls, and when they cried out, the walls came tumbling down.

 The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was well-known to be dangerous, so much so this is the road where Jesus sets his famous parable of the Good Samaritan, the foreigner who dares to help while the good religious people pass on by.

 These days, if you ever travel to Jericho, as you leave the Dead Sea behind you and follow the road through the wilderness, you begin to see big red warning signs, with writing in Hebrew, in Arabic, and in English, saying: “This Road Leads to Palestine. Entrance for Israeli Citizens is Forbidden, Dangerous to Your Lives, And Is Against [the] Law.”

 The first time I saw one of those signs, I got nervous. I asked our tour guide what the signs were about. He said, simply, “Israelis tell Palestinians where they can and can’t go. So the Palestinians claim the same rights: to protect their homes, and to protect themselves.”

 But then he shrugged, because as we entered the city, I don’t remember the bus even stopping at a checkpoint; we just drove on in. There aren’t any walls around the city these days; the miles of barren land are enough to keep the city isolated. And it’s clear that, for all the big red warning signs, the city’s inhabitants are too busy going about their lives to check the credentials of all their visitors and hunt down any Israelis who cross the line.

 In Luke’s gospel, we read that Jesus just passing through Jericho, on his way to Jerusalem. After leaving Jericho, Jesus will enter Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and he begin the final days on the road to the cross. This encounter with Zacchaeus, then, is where Jesus’ ministry ends.

 On the way to Jerusalem, as he passed through Jericho, there was a man named Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a “chief tax collector and was rich.” We know so little about Zacchaeus, but what we do know speaks volumes. Zacchaeus was a tax collector; as much as we grumble and argue about taxes today, it’s nothing to the resentment of the people two thousand years ago. Tax collectors colluded with the empire; they collected taxes to support the foreign powers who occupied and oppressed the ordinary folk – and tax collectors lined their own pockets along the way. Often, in addition to the wages they received from the empire, tax collectors were known to pad their collections, to skim off the top, to use their authority to exploit their neighbors. Even honest tax collectors were despised; and if everyone was going to hate you and assume you’re corrupt, why not at least get paid?

 Whether he came about it honestly or not, Zacchaeus was a man of power, authority, and wealth. He was one of the few who could live in comfort, not fear, a man with a steady job and a healthy nest egg, a man who never had to worry about whether he’d have a roof over his head or food to eat.

 Zacchaeus was living what, for many, is the dream. But he’s still missing something – he has to be; men who are happy, who are contented with their lot in life, aren’t men who set aside their dignity to go running through the streets and climb trees, hoping to catch a glimpse of something more.

 Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. Which tells us this: he was one of the least popular men in town. Nobody wants to be friends with the tax guy; nobody wants to look too friendly with the empire, to be suspected of being corrupt yourself. Nobody gives Zacchaeus a boost that day; nobody saves him a space at the front of the crowd; no one offers to move aside so he that he can see. For all his wealth, Zacchaeus is alone.

 For all that Zacchaeus has, he knows that something is missing. So when he hears the rumors about Jesus – this strange teacher, who blesses the poor, the powerless, the hungry and the meek – when he hears about this Jesus, who opened the eyes of a blind man right here, in Jericho – when Zacchaeus hears that Jesus is coming, he is curious, wondering if maybe this is the man who can show him what’s missing, who can show him something more.

 But the crowds are in his way. This man, who’s used to people making way, this man finds himself excluded, pushed out, pushed aside.

 It’s understandable. Jesus comes to proclaim a new kingdom, not to shore up the old empire; those who live in power and comfort now are pushed to the fringes in this vision of a new world to come. Zacchaeus and his kind aren’t welcome in the revolution. It’s understandable, why the crowds would want to keep Zacchaeus out. But I also wonder – we don’t know if the crowds got in the way on purpose. Maybe they were so busy looking at Jesus that they didn’t even realize that there was someone else behind them, jumping, looking for an opening, struggling to find a way in, struggling to find a way to see.

 And that right there, friends, that is such a powerful warning to us as the church. In our eagerness to press close to Christ, who is it that we’re squeezing out? Who is it, that can’t see Jesus, because we are getting in the way?

 So many give up – because we don’t open the circle, we don’t let them in. But thank God, some like Zacchaeus persevere; some, like Zacchaeus, are willing to run, jump, climb a tree, searching for just a glimpse, believing that – even with all those crowds – there is still a way, still a place for him.

 And even with all those crowds, Jesus sees Zacchaeus. He sees this man who’s been shut out; he sees this man who, for all his privilege, isn’t allowed to belong. Jesus sees Zacchaeus, and he calls him by name… and rather than passing through the town, Jesus invites himself into Zacchaeus’ home, into his story and into his life.

 The crowds start to grumble. In a town full of needy, hungry, desperate people – why is Jesus wasting his time with the rich guy in the tree? In a town full of righteous, respectable, decent people – how dare Jesus single out the tax collector? Doesn’t Jesus know what kind of reputation Zacchaeus has?

 And this is the thing: Jesus knows. Just like Jesus knows the ways all of us have failed, our flaws, our greed and our guilt – Jesus knows who Zacchaeus is, and Jesus still invites himself in.

 There’s a reason John Newton wrote about “amazing grace… that saved a wretch like me:”  because God’s grace is for wretches, wretches like you and me, and wretches like the people we try with all our might to avoid and ignore. When Jesus says “all,” he means “all” – all are welcome; there is a place for everyone – even the people we’d rather keep on the outsides, even the people we don’t want to let in. When we don’t let them come, Jesus goes to them – when we don’t invite them into our lives, Jesus invites himself into theirs.

 And when Jesus shows up, everything changes. While the people grumble and complain that Zacchaeus is greedy and dishonest, Zacchaeus says, “Look, I will give half of my possessions away; and if I’ve cheated anyone, I’ll pay them back four times over.” Zacchaeus moves from greed to generosity, in this one day, this moment, of recognition and grace. And we do Zacchaeus an injustice if we just remember him as a short man, and we forget that his faith, his experience with Christ, changed his life, in real ways, with economic implications: he doesn’t just receive a blessing that day, but he commits himself to be a blessing, too.

 Just a few verses earlier, Jesus was talking to a rich young ruler – a rich young ruler whom Jesus challenges to sell what he has and give it to the poor – a rich young ruler who goes sorrowfully away. Following Jesus has implications for what we do with what we have; loving our neighbors doesn’t mean we share warm fuzzy feelings, but rather, we share food, and shelter, and resources; we put our money where our mouth is, because – as Jesus says, where your treasure is, there is your heart.

 Although this is the curious thing – and stick with me for a minute, because I’m going to talk about verb tenses. In the original Greek, the verbs that Zacchaeus uses aren’t in the future tense, but the present tense; so he doesn’t say, “I will give away half of what I own, and if I’ve cheated anyone, I will pay them back four times over” – but what Zacchaeus actually says, when his neighbors complain, “Jesus is going to be the guest of a sinner,” is, “Look. I give away half of what I own, and if I’ve defrauded anyone, I pay them back four times as much.”[1]

 It’s delightfully ambiguous. Maybe Zacchaeus has had a total turnaround, an awakening; maybe just knowing that Jesus has seen him, and cares for him, is enough to convert him to a life of grace. But maybe, it’s just as possible, maybe Zacchaeus has been this quietly generous man all along: giving away what he has, doing his work honestly, and if he hurts someone, doing everything he can to make it right.

 His neighbors have assumed that he’s a greedy man, untrustworthy and pompous and unkind… but what if they’ve been wrong? What if Jesus is the first person ever to see Zacchaeus for the man he’s been all along? A man as flawed as any, but no more evil than the rest of us – a man who has done the best he can, with the hand he’s been given, to make the world a better place?

 So often our assumptions get in the way; so often, we think we know someone’s story, we know their heart, and we write them off, we turn our backs, we refuse to let them in. I love this story, if it’s about one man’s total transformation after encountering grace – and I love this story, if it’s about one man’s true character finally being revealed underneath all the layers of rumors and suspicion. Either way, whether he’s a good and generous man or whether he’s a cheat and a thief, either way, Jesus sees him, Jesus goes to him, and Jesus offers him grace and offers him love. This is what Jesus is all about: not asking whether we deserve his presence, but showing up for us all the same.

 Maybe the call to repentance and conversion in this story isn’t so much for Zacchaeus, but for the crowds, his angry neighbors, who judge and assume and exclude him – until the day when Jesus stands next to Zacchaeus and says, “He’s a son of Abraham, too.” Zacchaeus, too, has been blessed to be a blessing. Zacchaeus, too, is a member of the family of God.

 When we look beyond our assumptions, when we call each other by name, when we learn to welcome one another as guests, to share our lives, that’s when the kingdom of God breaks in.

 Remember those big red warning signs, on the way to modern Jericho? They remind us just how divided Jesus’ homeland continues to be. Neighbors are divided by history, by religion, by race, by language, by culture, by fear… The Holy Land is a place full of dangerous assumptions, full of prejudice and suspicion; thousands of years after Joshua saw the walls come falling down, walls are being built all over again.

 But one summer, a few years ago, for just a few days, those big red warning signs said something different. They were covered by a group of Israeli women, helped by some of Palestinian allies; the old signs were covered with new signs, which said – again, in all three languages, in rows full of colorful letters: “Women say no to the rules of occupation. [This is a] Civilian Zone: no entry to the army… Israeli civilians do not be afraid! Come and visit Palestinian settlements. Refuse to be enemies!”[2]

 Come and visit! Refuse to be enemies! Do not be afraid! There is power in sharing our lives together. There is power in laying down our weapons, in laying aside our preconceived notions, and actually getting to know one another, and realizing we aren’t so different after all. There is power to seeing each other, realizing we are all children of Abraham, and we are all children of God.

 This is who we are called to be: people of generosity and grace. We are called to move beyond assumptions; we are called to look around, to see who it is we are excluding, who it is that we’re hampering from seeing Christ – and we are also called to do something, to share what we have, to remember that we are blessed to be a blessing to all.

   Lord, you blessed children, you welcomed foreigners, and you invited yourself to share the tables of tax collectors. You offered healing and you offered hope, to rich and poor alike; you looked at people, and you saw in them people who bore God’s image, people who are flawed but also beautiful, people worthy of your love. Lord, teach us to see one another and to see the world as you do. Help us to put aside our suspicions, our prejudice, our fear; help us to put away our selfishness and our greed; help us to recognize that we are all connected, that we are all part of your big family, and when we live with love and grace, lives are changed. In the name of Christ we pray; amen.

[1] https://biblehub.com/interlinear/luke/19.htm & https://www.ezraproject.com/greek-tenses-explained

[2] https://972mag.com/israeli-activists-replace-threatening-military-signs-with-messages-of-peace-and-resistance/76431/