In the Crowd

After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He did not wish to go about in Judea because the Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill him. Now the Jewish festival of Booths was near. So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing; for no one who wants to be widely known acts in secret. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” (For not even his brothers believed in him.) Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify against it that its works are evil. Go to the festival yourselves. I am not going to this festival, for my time has not yet fully come.” After saying this, he remained in Galilee.
But after his brothers had gone to the festival, then he also went, not publicly but as it were in secret. The Jews were looking for him at the festival and saying, “Where is he?” And there was considerable complaining about him among the crowds. While some were saying, “He is a good man,” others were saying, “No, he is deceiving the crowd.” Yet no one would speak openly about him for fear of the Jews. John 7:1-13 

In the Crowd

Dear God of groups and isolation
we find you were we find ourselves
caught in this moment of history
wondering when life will be better.

Storms seem to be a daily event
violence and protest surround us
there are no easy answers now
too many don't know where to go.

You know what it is to be misunderstood
suffering for the sake of the whole world
we know you stand with us in these days
in the loneliness and the pressing crowds.

Help us to stand with the suffering
make our hearts open to the lonely
pour your love and power over us
so we can be your presence here now. Amen