June 29, 2022 Weekly Update
Need a little good news? I was heartened to read that Russian journalist and Noble Peace Prize recipient Dmitry Muratov recently auctioned off his Noble medal to raise funds for Ukrainian children. Dmitry won the prized medal last year for his years of journalism at Novaya Gazeta, a newspaper he cofounded. The paper seeks accountability of the Russian government and advocates for free expression and democracy in Russia. An anonymous buyer paid $103.5 million dollars for the medal. 100% of the proceeds from the auction will go to UNICEF to aid Ukrainian children and their families displaced by the war.
Selfless and compassionate acts like these often stir my imagination for what’s possible when humanity acts with radical love. Don’t have a Noble medal to give away? Yeah, me neither. But over these last several Sundays, we have been reminded that we DO have the Spirit living and working in us and around us – helping us to live the Spirit Life in our church, our community, and our world. The Spirit Life celebrates God’s abundant diversity, seeks wisdom and truth, listens for God’s voice amidst the madness of the world, and grows in commitment to the call of Jesus over time. We don’t need a Noble Medal to give away. God has given us everything we need to live the Spirit Life through the loving presence of Jesus in our midst.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Jared