Nadia Bolz-Weber talks about how we’ve used the phrase “the Lord” in ways that often paint a very different picture than who Jesus was and is. She tells us that in the time that Jesus was on earth, “Lord” was a term used for Caesar. Lords were dictatorial and made people’s lives miserable. But Luke tells us of a different God entirely, God as baby, as friend, as Jesus. And Luke waits to call Jesus “Lord” until this story in Luke 7: The widow is leaving the city to go and bury her child. Jesus sees her and has compassion on her. In Greek, this term is more visceral—his guts turned, his insides lurched toward this woman in grief. Jesus is not the Lord of empire or institution or domination; Jesus is the Lord of compassion. Jesus saw grief and wasn’t afraid to touch it. She concludes with a prayer for the Lord of compassion to enter into our grief, bless the things we think are dead, and give us back to one another. Following Nadia’s talk, Jeff and Sarah discuss the names they have used for God, the need for resurrection in our daily lives, and the hard work of compassion.

 

Show Notes

Evolving Faith Conference

Podcast After Party (Community Discussion)