"People are always more important than the institutions they belong to."

If lots of hearts plastered all over a door is a loving gesture of a heart attack, then is plastering memes on a blogpost a photobomb?

I searched for a quote, and couldn't find a meme for it. Apparently, I have created an original quote. Here it is:
"People are always more important than the institutions they belong to."

Recently, a big named church created policy that has hurt a multitude of people. It has pulled families apart more than before. It has the potentiality to turn the hearts of the children against the parents, and tear the parents' hearts out of their chest.

It has already pushed a handful of people to such an emotionally damaging place that they committed suicide because they felt that their children would be better off without them.

PEOPLE are more important than institutions. Every. single. time.

Here is my photobomb of memes.





My baptismal covenants included mourning with those that mourn. Comforting those that stand in need of comfort. Proclaiming by word and example the Good News of God in Christ. To seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving my neighbor as myself. Striving for justice and peace among all people, and respecting the dignity of every human being. And that is why I can't stay silent when I see people being hurt.

To any who are hurt: Come to Christ, not to a church that hurts you. There are groups of people, or a church in its true definition, who will accept you just as you are. Worship with them. Love God. Love your neighbor AS YOURSELF. In other words, you have to love yourself, too. God loves you just as you are.


♥ Melody

"Let me see it through your eyes"::November 2

The Bishop's Daily

November 2 - Psalms 56, 57, 58, 64, 65; Nehemiah 6:1-19; Revelation 10:1-11; Matthew 13:36-43

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” (Matthew 13:36 NRSV)

According to the story the disciples did not understand the parable of the weeds. So they asked Jesus to explain it to them. My studies of the parables taught me that they were readily understandable to the hearers. Over time, however, as the church developed, the people lost touch with the social / cultural setting in which Jesus had lived. As such his parables could not be readily understood. (Like a joke that depends on a particular time and place to be understood and without which no one gets the humor.)

By the time they got around to setting the story of Jesus down into gospel narratives so much had changed that the parables needed to be explained. Unfortunately, the writers who collected the stories of Jesus and put them into the gospel form that we have, did not know what Jesus meant by them, so they created their own interpretations.

What I do like is the thought that the disciples, as depicted, did not hesitate to go to Jesus to help them understand what he meant. Since the parables often spoke of the Kingdom of God, I appreciate understanding the reign of God through Jesus. Because if we see the reign of God through Jesus then at the very same moment we do that, Jesus becomes the lens through which we see the world as well.

You see, when I look at the world I can get discouraged. There is so much that seems hopeless and bleak. But the eyes of love see goodness in people and places where my eyes see just the opposite.

As a disciple of Jesus then, I go to him and say, "Explain again to me this world and why you love it. Help me to do the same. Let me see it through your eyes."

The Bishop's Daily is written by The Right. Reverend Scott B. Hayashi, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Utah.

I needed to post this here so that I can reference it later. It really spoke to my soul. I hope that you enjoy it as well! :)

♥ Melody

I Sing a Song of the Saints of God::All Saints' Day 2015

One of my favorite songs.

I sing a song of the saints of God,
Patient and brave and true,
Who toiled and fought and lived and died
For the Lord they loved and knew.
And one was a doctor, and one was a queen,
And one was a shepherdess on the green;
They were all of them saints of God, and I mean,
God helping, to be one too.

They loved their Lord so dear, so dear,
And his love made them strong;
And they followed the right for Jesus' sake
The whole of their good lives long.
And one was a soldier, and one was a priest,
And one was slain by a fierce wild beast;
And there's not any reason, no, not the least,
Why I shouldn't be one too.

They lived not only in ages past,
There are hundreds of thousands still.
The world is bright with the joyous saints
Who love to do Jesus' will.
You can meet them in school, or in planes, or at sea,
In church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea;
For the saints of God are just folk like me,
And I mean to be one too.

Yes! And I mean to be one too.
♥ Melody