But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning…. this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power (Acts 2:14-15, 23-24).
In this last couple days, if you turned on the news or opened your Facebook, you know about the riot happened in the city of Minneapolis and St. Paul. It was the major news throughout last week. Someone commented on Facebook that it was worse than COVID-19. Of course, what was considered essential was forced to close, even destroyed. Unthinkable! Those who involved were not drunk. They stood up for something important. Their minds would be commendable, but their actions were senseless.
Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday, the day which gave birth to the church. It was so because someone stood up for something. Peter and the eleven stood up for Jesus (with sensible mind), defending, as well as proclaiming, his innocence, resurrection and Messiahship. Like Peter and the eleven, we are people of Pentecost, our faith in Jesus Christ should evoke us to stand up for something. Two hundred years or more after the Day of Pentecost we have people who are known as the Apologists stood up with Peter to defend Christ’s divinity and teachings and the Christian life. Throughout church history, we have people who stood up for Jesus. The question is, what can we stand up for Jesus in our time and especially this challenging time?
We can stand up to be faithful. We can be prayerful. We can be loving. We can proclaim Christ’s Lordship, love and grace. We can value one another’s life and sacred worth as in the eye of God. We can respect each other regardless of our differences, or culture and ethnicity. We will not cause harm or destruction to the community and businesses. We can stand for love, justice, peace, non-violence, and the common good of all people. We will do good, do no harm, and stand up for Jesus.
Merciful God, may your name be praised and honor among all people. We pray for your Holy Spirit to lead us, our leaders and our communities across the country, and teach us how to love one another and empower us to stand up for your peace, justice and mercy for all in this challenging time. Amen.
HMONG VERSION
Ces Petus txawm sawv tsees nrog kaum ib tug tubtxib ua ke tsa suab nrov hais rau cov neeg ntawd tias, “Cov neeg Yudia thiab sawvdaws uas nyob hauv Yeluxalees, nej cia li paub zaj no thiab mloog tej lus uas kuv hais. 15Cov neeg no tsis yog qaug cawv yam li nej xav, rau qhov nyuam qhuav cuaj teev sawv ntxov xwb…. 23mas tus Yexus no raug muab cob rau nej raws li Vajtswv twb xav tseg ruaj cia thiab paub ua ntej lawd, mas nej thiaj siv neeg phem txhais tes muab nws teem rau saum khaublig ntoo thiab muab nws tua pov tseg. 24Tiamsis Vajtswv tsa nws ciaj sawv rov los thiab tso nws dim txojkev tuag tej mob, rau qhov txojkev tuag tuav tsis tau nws cia kiag li (Cov Tubkhai Teg Num 2:14-15, 23-24).
Ob peb nub dhlau lug, yog koj qheb xuvxum noog lossis koj qhov Facebook koj yuav paub txug qhov kev phomsij tshimsim nyob rua nroog Minneapolis hab St. Paul. Nwg yog qhov xuvxwm kubtxhuv txhua nub rua lub limtam taag lug. Muaj ib tug has nyob huv Facebook tas qhov kev phomsij nuav tseem phomsij tshaaj le tug kaabmob Covid-19. Yeej tseeb tag, tej kab tej khw kws yuavtsum qheb los yuav tau muab kaw, hab tseem raug tsoo puamtsuaj puagnroog taag. Tsi paub xaav taag hlo le. Cov tuabneeg kws tsim tej kev phomsij nuav tsi yog tuabneeg qaug cawv. Puab sawv ua timkhawv rua ib yaam dlaabtsi tseemceeb. Nyob huv puab lub sab puab yuav xaav tau yaam zoo. Tabsi puab teg num puab ua zoo le puab tsi muaj hlwb xaav hlo le.
Naagmo yog Nub Pheetheskhoxate, nub kws cov ntseeg tshimsim pib muaj lug. Nws peejtsheej tau le vim muaj tuabneeg sawv ua timkhawv rua ib yaam tseemceeb. Petus hab kaumib tug thwjthim puab sawv ua timkhawv rua Tswv Yexus (puab meej pem tsi qaug cawv) nwg kev ncaajnceeg, kev sawv huv qhovtuag rov lug, hab qhov kws nwg yog tug Cawjseej. Zoo le Petus hab kaumib tug thwjtim, peb yog cov tuabneeg Nub Pheethekhoxate, peb txuj kev ntseeg Yexus yuavtsum tshoov peb sab kuas peb sawv ua timkhawv rua ib yaam dlaabtsi. Ob puas xyoo lossis tshaaj saud tomqaab Nub Pheethekhoxate peb muaj ib cov tuabneeg muaj npe hu ua Apologists kws sawv nrug Petus ua timkhawv tas Yexus yog Vaajtswv, hab txug Yexus tej lug qha hab cov ntseeg lub neej ntseeg. Raws le keebkwm cov ntseeg, peb yeej muaj tuabneeg sawv ua timkhawv rua Tswv Yexus ib ntu zuj zug lug. Lub ntsab lug tseemceeb ces yuav nug has tas, peb yuav sawv ua timkhawv rua Tswv Yexus txug dlaabtsi nyob rua sijhawm najnub nua kws muaj kev kubntxhuv?
Peb yuav ua timkhawv muab sab rau ntseeg. Peb yuav nquag thov Vaajtswv. Peb yuav muaj kev hlub povnpo. Peb yuav tshaajtawm tas Yexus yog Vaajtswv, nwg txuj kev hlub kev taabncuab. Peb ib leeg yuav saib ib leeg txuj sa muaj nqe hab tseemceeb rua ntawm Vaajtswv. Peb yuav sibfwm txawm tas peb yuav sibtxawv, hab yuav tsi coj ib txug kevcai lossis yog ib haiv tuabneeg. Peb yuav tsi tsim kev kubntxhuv los kev phomsij puagntsoog rua lub zej lub zog hab tej kab khw vaajtse. Peb yuav ua timkhawv rua kev hlub, kev ncaajnceeg, kev kaajsab, kev tsi tsim kev phomsij puagntsoog, hab ua kev zoo rua txhua tug. Peb yuav ua zoo, tsi ua phem, hab sawv ua timkhawv rua Yexus.
Vaajtswv tug kws muaj kev taabncuab, thov kuas tuabneeg txhua tug qhuas hab fwm koj lub npe. Peb thov koj tug Vaaj Ntsujplig coj peb, cov thawjcoj hab tej zej tej zog thoobplawg tebchaw, hab cobqha peb kuas peb ib leeg txawj hlub ib leeg hab paab peb kuas peb sawv ua tau timkhawv rua koj txuj kev kaaj sab, kev ncaajnceeg hab kev taabncuab rua txhua leej txhua tug nyob rua lub sijhawm muaj kev kubntxuv najnub nua. Amees.