Ordinary Time
With the season after Pentecost, we now head into Ordinary Time, a liturgical phrase which just means daily (ordinal, or numbered - think day by day). However, as I’m sure you have noticed this year, there is nothing ordinary about these times! So what do we do during this protracted season of Extraordinary Time in our country?
Well, the good news is that extraordinary times still call for ordinary measures: things anyone can do, every day. One example that comes to mind is boycott. We can all make choices about any number of issues on where to cast or withhold our “dollar votes” in this political system where money speaks. The New England Synod recently provided us with two resources for consumer boycotts of Israel: one long, one short.
background document on Resolution 2
One other simple step in addition to boycotting is explaining to others why were are doing so. It is so important to explain that we do not boycott Israel because it is a Jewish country. Economic boycotts of Jewish businesses have been a horrible tool of Antisemitism throughout history. Instead we can explain that we are boycotting Israel because of their human rights violations and policies, in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Boycott is a personal choice and you will all decide what kinds of actions are right for you. I share boycott because it’s such a simple action we can take in our daily lives. But speaking, posting, reading, praying, and responding to action alerts - these are little things that add up to make a big difference in shaping our future.
So that some day, maybe we can get back to Ordinary Time.
with love, Pastor Chelsea
