This Sunday at Peace

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

a note from Holly

He’s the most amazing American alive, except I guess he’s not an American. It’s not just the way he plays baseball, it’s the way Shohei Ohtani carries himself—the heart and humility he shows.

This Sunday we hear the most famous of the parables: the Good Samaritan. It’s one I never grow tired of because it has a twist in it that always leads me scratching my head, unsure how we can possibly move forward…

It’s not just famous ballplayers, it’s your stories, too.

I have talked to Peace member, Paul Masao Matsuoka, many times about how his family (Japanese-Americans in California) were taken from their homes, schools and businesses after Pearl Harbor. At first they were held in stalls at the Santa Anita Racetrack before they were incarcerated in Arkansas at the Jerome and then Rohwer Concentration Camps from 1942-45.

The only thing more incredulous than that story is Paul: his faith, his generosity, his commitment to justice for all.

Like it or not, we are bound together on this planet with people we wish we could escape from. I’ve got a long way to go before I can make much sense of it. Thankfully, we can act justly even when there is no understanding of the cruelty and stupidity behind so much these days.

Even more: we can live lives of grace and courage. I know, because I’ve seen it.

Thankful, as ever,

Holly