On this day Christians prepare to celebrate and remember the “mandatum” that Christ gave His disciples on the night He was betrayed; that we love one another as He loved us – (John 13:34: Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos: I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” )
A religion founded on the fact that God does not find but creates that which is loveable to Him in Christ, and that claims that God loved the world so much that He sent His Son to save is today attacked by many as discriminatory and oppressive. Meanwhile there is real oppression and murder going on in the name of other religions that is newsworthy but never really analyzed for what it is and what it proclaims.
Today in Kenya Christians once again were targeted for nothing more than being Christians and many have lost their lives.
Our friends and partners in Kenya have had some tough sledding over the last few years with internal friction and fomenting of unrest from folks here at home. Paternalism and an attitude that some know better than others what is proper for the Kenyan church to do our not do has caused a lot of concern and separation among brothers and sisters that Christ died for and who also received the mandatum.
When you receive the Sacrament tonight remember our Kenyan partners and our missionaries in prayer.
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!