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An Old FB Post – #1

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

Yesterday, I started sorting through my old Facebook posts. I joined the crazy world of social media in 2010. I discovered that over the past 15 years, I’ve created a beautiful timeline of events. While I no longer use Facebook as my main outlet for self-expression, I have run across a few posts that I want to preserve by sharing them on this platform. Here’s one from April 4, 2014. I was on vacation in Myrtle Beach, SC., and the moment was profound.

“On Monday, I stood looking out over the Atlantic Ocean feeling very small in the face of such vastness. Then, a wave broke in front of me, rushed up over my feet and then retreated with such force that it pulled all the sand from around my feet back into the surf. At that moment, I didn’t feel so insignificant. I had held the sand in place beneath me. I made a difference by standing firm. There’s a sermon illustration there somewhere.”

The waves continue to crash ashore, Never forget that every act of resistance–no matter how small–makes a difference. Stand firm, my friends. Stand firm.

A Picture of Devotion?

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet  and sweet for bitter.” Isaiah 5:20 (New International Version)

We need to listen to the prophets.

Since Thursday, July 3, I have been haunted by the photo of members of Congress in a circle of prayer in the aisle of the House of Representatives prior to their vote on the budget bill.

Rev. Benjamin Cremer, Substack author of “Into the Gray”, eloquently posted a lament about the photo, writing, “What are we to make of this image? Men huddled in pious prayer, arms around each other, heads bowed, as if invoking Your name makes the cruelty they prepare holy? …And Jesus, warned us: “Do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.” (Matthew 6:5) This, too, is a show. A public performance meant to mask a private betrayal. They fold their hands and raise their voices not in repentance or humility, but in justification of injustice. …They will walk away from this circle of prayer into chambers where they vote to deepen poverty, increase suffering, and criminalize mercy. And they will dare to call it righteous.”

Throughout this arduous process, House Speaker (and professed Bible-believing Christian) Mike Johnson has repeatedly called the budget bill “good” despite the “evil” it will perpetrate against children, the sick, immigrants, the elderly and people with disabilities–the very people with whom Jesus identified and to whom we are called to serve.

Meanwhile, some conservative Christians have been throwing shade on empathy–a quality frequently aligned with compassion and kindness, a fruit of the Spirit. But on his Podcast, “Stronger Man Nation,” Pastor Josh McPherson said, “Empathy is dangerous. Empathy is toxic. Empathy will align you with hell.” What was once considered “sweet” (positive) is now “bitter” (negative).

This substitution of evil for good, darkness for light, and bitter for sweet has consequences. It hardens the heart, atrophies the spirit, and deadens the soul. It also disconnects us from God’s kingdom plan–shalom. Jesus said, “I have came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10). Jesus modeled compassion, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, welcoming the outcast and releasing those held captive by forces of darkness. Sadly, we have watched as self-proclaimed followers of Jesus pray and then deliver sickness, hunger, detention and death to the “least of these–Jesus’s siblings and ours..

It’s not how you pray; it’s how you obey.

A Day to Lament

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

On this 4th of July, my heart is heavy with sadness as our nation’s leaders have taken food and healthcare from the poor to give the wealthy a tax break and to fund detainment and deportation of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. How are we to celebrate freedom when we have just passed legislation that will put people in bondage and condemn them to death? How are we to mark the 249th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence when our nation has returned to tyranny and embraced fascism and funded a police state? For me, this is not a day to celebrate; it is a day to lament and grieve and cry out to God.

“Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered” Psalm 60:5

“Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.” Psalm 79:9

“Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.” Psalm 10:12

“Save us in the time of trial and deliver us from all evil.” Matthew 6:13 (The Lord’s Prayer translation from Aramaic)

If You Say You are Pro-Life…

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

On Saturday, June 28, as part of the National Celebrate Life Day in Washington, DC, the organizations Students for Life of America (SFLA) and Students for Life Action distributed 392,715 “EveryLife” diapers, which symbolized the number of abortions performed by Planned Parenthood in 2022-2023. Kristan Hawkins, President of SFLA, used the diaper collection and distribution to counter the narrative that pro-life advocates don’t care about children once they leave the womb. She said, “Our ambitious diaper goal…tells the real story: when we say we’re pro-life AND pro-family, we mean it.”

I’m not convinced. The same group issued a statement celebrating the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill Act by the Senate on Tuesday, saying that the redirection of healthcare funds away from Planned Parenthood for 1 year is a step in the right direction toward their goal of an “abortion-free America” and praised GOP legislators for acting to protect the unborn.

However, there was no mention of the Bill’s cuts in funding for SNAP benefits for low income families; no mention of the $1.1 TRILLION cuts to Medicaid over the next 10 years; no mention of the changes in eligibility requirements for receiving federal benefits; no mention of cuts to the Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (aka WIC); no mention of the cuts to funding for school lunches for poor children; no mention of the increased spending for border security, ICE, detainment centers, and deportation that separates children from their parents; no mention of the $1+ TRILLION budget to fund war and weapons that kill and displace families; no mention of the $3.4 trillion that will be added to the deficit–a deficit that will be shouldered by our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. And there was no mention of the estimated 16,642 preventable deaths that will occur annually if the Bill is passed by the House in its current form.

If you say you are pro-life and if you say you are pro-family, you cannot also be pro-Big Beautiful Bill. The two are antithetical.

Judgement Will Come

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

Updated 7/1/25

“They sell the innocent for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed.” (Amos 2:6-7)

The prophet Amos doesn’t hold back. Speaking on behalf of the Lord, Amos calls out the “sins of Israel” and prophesies that God’s judgement will certainly come. Their sins? They have sold out the poor and innocent for personal gain and political power.

That same willingness to “sell the needy” for a pair of sandals was on display on Friday night as the Senate spent 3 hours taking a procedural vote to allow the “Big (not so) Beautiful Bill” to move forward. There were deep reservations regarding the bill among numerous Republican Senators including Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mike Lee of Utah, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Rick Scott of Florida who kept the Senate in suspense by not voting right away. Then, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, who had voted against the motion, suddenly switched his vote to “aye”, In the end all the Republican senators with the exception of Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina voted to pass the measure. It passed 51-49.

What got all of them to vote for something they didn’t agree with or knew would not help their constituents? Threats? Possibly. But more likely, it was a carrot, not a stick, that led them to vote “Aye.” Lisa Murkowski got a carve out to protect SNAP benefits for poor people in her state. The poor in the other 49 states were sold for a pair of sandals. Ron Johnson and Josh Hawley got a $25 billion fund to support rural hospitals. While that sounds like a lot, it doesn’t begin to make up for the cuts to Medicaid–a primary source of funds for rural hospitals. And in the end, the innocent in urban areas–where hospitals are also struggling to stay afloat–were sold for silver. And Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who voted ‘aye’ for the bill, had the audacity to say, “They (the poor people worried about Medicaid cuts) will get over it.” The wealthy trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust.

Today, several hundred people gathered at the Supreme Court with Rev. Dr. William Barber, II and dozens of pastors and faith leaders to pray, to prophesy and to protest the contents of this bill that includes the largest cuts to social programs in American history to make way for the largest tax reduction for the wealthiest Americans. When Capital Police prevented the people from marching toward the Capital, the group began to pray in the middle of the street. Twenty-five people–including Rev. Barber–were arrested for blocking the street.

To use Senator Rev. Rafael Warnock’s assessment, this bill is “Robin Hood in reverse.” It robs from the poor to give to the rich.” In the words of Rev. Barber, “We can’t keep going down this road.” The prophet Amos was proved right: God’s judgement came upon Israel for its multiple “sins.”. We’ll be next if we don’t change direction.

Update: Today, the Senate passed the Big Brutal Bill 51-50 with Vice President JD Vance casting the deciding vote. Now it will return to the House of Representatives. Watch and pray.

Still Frozen Out

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

 “Solidarity must go beyond words…becoming a refugee is never a choice, but how we respond is.” –United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres

Today is World Refugee Day. Matt Soerens, Vice President of Advocacy and Policy at World Relief, reminds us that there are over 120 million people in the world seeking refuge, defined as a pursuing safe shelter from danger or trouble. These people have fled from their homes because of war, persecution, disaster or political upheaval. In the past, the United States has been a refuge for these people, but since the president signed an Executive Order freezing all refugee resettlement for 90 days, 128,000 people already approved and ready for resettlement have been stuck in limbo. That was on January 20, 2025. It has been more than 90 days, and the freeze is still in effect. According to a report by Religious News Service, the administration has claimed in court that it cannot resettle refugees. However, in May, the administration fast-tracked the resettlement of 59 white Afrikaners from South Africa who, it claimed, were being persecuted because of their race.

And the 128,000 people who have been waiting in line–some for years–are still frozen out.

On this day, we can respond by respectfully urging our U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators to demand that President Trump end the freeze and restore the U.S. refugee resettlement program and funding fully. Phone numbers can be found at https://.5calls.org.

And we can respond by supporting organizations like Refugee One and World Relief, who continue to support refugees who arrived prior to the freeze without the help of federal funding.

Will Juneteenth be Next?

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

(Updated on June 20, 2025)

We wouldn’t be celebrating Juneteenth—the day slaves were fully emancipated in the United States—without the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. Following his death at the hand (actually, under the knee) of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, protests erupted across the country. Significantly, the marches and protests were multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-generational and multi-national, and they shined a spotlight on the systemic racism that has targeted black and brown communities for centuries.

People marched not just against abusive policing and excessive use of force but for something much deeper—a commitment to affirm the humanity and value of black lives and for passage of new policies that would create equity for marginalized people.

The nation responded. Police policies were reviewed and changed, rogue police officers were held accountable, states and the federal government invested in programs that addressed the root causes of violence and poverty and initiatives that elevated under-represented groups. Even corporate America stepped up the make commitments to racial equity.

A year after George Floyd’s death, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law on June 17, 2021.

Sadly, backlash against these initiatives and reforms came swiftly. Juneteenth is still a federal holiday—at least for now—but the gains made since 2020 have been reversed at both the state and federal levels. (Read the president’s Juneteenth Truth Social post below.)

In 2022, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis condemned “woke ideology” as he signed into law the “Stop WOKE Act”—also known as the “Stop Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees Act.” The law prohibits schools and workplaces from teaching about systemic racism and certain concepts related to race, gender, and social privilege, and it bans thousands of books about race and marginalized people.

On the federal level, the current administration has issued a flood of executive orders closing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion offices within all government departments, following the plan envisioned by Project 2025. Corporations also have abandoned their prior commitments to DEI and ended their sponsorship of certain festivals and events that do not align with the new administration’s values and agenda.

As Rev. Otis Moss III, pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, pointed out in an opinion piece published by The Hill, this backlash is nothing new. “Every step toward reform is met with retrenchment, a doubling down on the very racist and unfair systems we seek to dismantle,” he writes. “After Reconstruction came Jim Crow. After the civil rights movement came mass incarceration. And, after Barack Obama and Black Lives Matter came Project 2025.”

On this Juneteenth holiday, we must remember the past victories and the progress gained for full inclusion and equality of all people, but we must also recognize the nature of the beast that continues to threaten that progress. Juneteenth could be on the chopping block next.

In the words of Rev. Moss, “The backlash has been loud, but we can be louder…” Retreat is not an option. “We must keep pushing the needle forward….” That first June 19, 1865, was Liberation Day! So, go forward in the power of the Spirit to announce good news to the poor, the oppressed, the discounted, the dismissed, the disenfranchised: God’s truth IS marching on! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

UPDATE: The President’s Juneteenth Post. True to form, the president used Juneteenth to complain about the number of federal paid holidays on the calendar the cost to business. He wrote: “Too many non-working holidays in America. It is costing our Country $BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to keep all of these businesses closed. The workers don’t want it either! Soon we’ll end up having a holiday for every once working day of the year. It must change if we are going to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” This is a slaveholder’s response.

A Picture is Worth 75,000 Words

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

According to Indivisible, 75,000 people participated in the “No King” rally and march in Chicago. Across the country, upwards of 11 million people took to the streets to protect immigrants and refugees and reject spending cuts that would eliminate healthcare, SNAP benefits, housing subsidies and more that would impact the most vulnerable.

I was there. I hope you were too.

The Path We Are On

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Historian Jamar Tisby has said, “There’s a popular phrase that says ‘history repeats itself.’ More accurately, history doesn’t repeat itself—history rhymes.” 

His quote came to mind as I was reading the story of King Jeroboam in 1 Kings 12. Considered a defender of the oppressed, Jeroboam was made King by the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. However, to ensure that the people would remain loyal to him and to consolidate his power, Jeroboam began to dismantle the religious and social structures that had been part of Israelite history and culture. To discourage worship at the temple in Jerusalem in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, Jeroboam built several new temples at Bethel and Dan. Instead of appointing Levites as priests as prescribed by the Torah, he allowed anyone–qualified or unqualified–to serve in the new temples. Jeroboam had 2 golden calves made–which he placed at Bethel and Dan–and declared that they should be worshipped as “God who led you out of Egypt.” He offered sacrifices to the golden calf at Bethel, leading the people to do the same. In addition, he introduced a new calendar based on the Egyptian calendar, replacing the traditional dates of Jewish holidays and diminishing their significance. It all has a familiar ring to it.

While there was condemnation of Jeroboam’s new policies–particularly from “A Man of God” who arrived in Bethel at the installation of the golden calf–the people of Israel who had made Jeroboam their king gave him their loyalty and devotion. Jeroboam reigned as king for 22 years in Israel.

But Jeroboam’s reign was offensive to God. Ahijah, an old blind prophet, pronounced God’s judgement on Jeroboam and his house in 1 Kings 14:9-10: “You have made yourself other gods and cast false idols in their honor. You have aroused My wrath by putting Me behind you. Therefore, beware. I will bring destruction to Jeroboam’s house.” And because the people of the Northern Kingdom had supported Jeroboam’s destructive policies and become complicit in his evil, God had a word for them too. “[God] will abandon Israel because of Jeroboam’s wickedness, which caused all of Israel to be wicked as well.” (1 Kings 14:16)

Jeroboam’s name became synonymous with wickedness. Every Israelite king that followed was compared to Jeroboam. Every one of them was described by this common refrain: “He walked the wicked path of Jeroboam, causing the Israelites to live sinful lives.” (The Voice translation).

Leadership matters. Character matters. Behavior matters. Government practices and policies matter. And loyalty to a corrupt leader and corrupt policies results in corruption and self-destruction.

Jeroboam’s name is remembered, but never honored. His reign is included in the annuls of the Kings, but it is a cautionary tale. The evil of his reign infected the reigns of every king who followed him for the next 200 years. The people who made him a King became complicit in his evil and became evil with him, infecting future generations.

Another story is embedded in the story of Jeroboam and the kings that followed him; it is the story of the prophets who stood against their corruption. Ahijah, Elijah, Elisha, and Amos–along with others. According to 2 Kings 17:13, “The Eternal One gave fair warning to Israel and Judah…through the mouths of the prophets and seers throughout the land: “Abandon your wickedness, and obey My commands and laws which I gave to your ancestors through the mouths of My servants, the prophets.” Sadly, the words of the prophets went unheeded and the rest is history.

History rhymes. And when it does, we will have to choose. Will we walk the path of Jeroboam or will we walk the path of justice and righteousness? Will we be the sycophants of this administration or will we be the prophets who speak for liberation? The path we are on right now is rhyming in my ears with “upheaval” and it will only take us to hell. There is still time to choose a new path, but I’m afraid that the window of opportunity is closing.

Walter Brueggemann & Me

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After my last post on June 3, my time was devoted to preparing my stepmother’s funeral service, packing, traveling to PA, and reuniting with my immediate and extended family and old friends at the funeral . Throughout that time, everything else in the world appropriately faded into the background. I didn’t think about writing for “Tongue on Fire” until this morning after reading about the death of Walter Brueggemann on June 5.

Though I only heard him speak one time, his understanding of Old Testament history and the prophetic tradition blew me away and literally changed the trajectory of my preaching and ministry. A prolific writer (his website lists 168 titles!), it was his best known book, “The Prophetic Imagination,” written in 1978, that most impacted me and opened my eyes to the prophetic role of the church–speaking truth to power.

In describing the content of his final book of essays, “Lament that Generates Covenant,” published in March 2025, Brueggemann wrote: “This collection of essays pertains to matters that urgently concern our faith. My work consists in recognition that our various systems of meaning, power, and control are decisively penultimate, even though we conduct ourselves as though they are ultimate. Thus, our articulation of theology and faith are momentary and require endless rearticulation… For much too long the church has focused on private, spiritual, other-worldly matters. In fact, the biblical reportage and advocacy concern the continuing struggle for an alternative economy that is governed by neighborly generosity, an economy that eschews private accumulation by the powerful at the expense of the vulnerable.” Amen!

Though his pen is now stilled and his voice silenced, the words he wrote and spoke during his lifetime will live on–just as relevant for our times and for times to come. There will always be a need for prophetic imagination and prophetic action.

“Then I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them’.” (Revelation 14:13). Well done.