On May 31st, David Gist, PMC congregant and Senior Organizer with Bread for the World, prepared us for an advocacy campaign — with Psalm 72, where ruling authorities are expected to act justly; Proverbs 31:8-9 where we are commanded to speak out on behalf of the silenced and to defend the poor and needy; and especially Luke 11:5-13, where Jesus tells a parable teaching us how to advocate for those in need.

In the Luke passage, David notes that Jesus comforts his disciples, and us in turn. In this time of pain following the murder of George Floyd, over the weaponization of racism by Amy Cooper in Central Park, and the hunting down of Ahmad Arbery — and the many lives taken before these. Many are grieving over hurt, neglect, bigotry, white supremacy and the violence it begets, over the infiltration of peace movements, peace rallies and peaceful protests by those who have no intention of carrying out peace. Amidst the pain, we might wonder — is God hearing us? Is God answering prayer?

This pain is heaped on the losses related to the COVID epidemic.

This is a time to remind ourselves and one another that God loves us, that God is present with us, that God offers us comfort, and that ultimately God will open the right doors for us. Hear and receive God’s comfort in today’s passage. Hear, seek, knock. To everyone who asks the door will be opened.

This parable follows Jesus teaching his disciples to pray the Lord’s prayer. Here we find both comfort and instruction. This is a lesson in advocacy.

We generally follow our sermons with a time of “talk-back” in which the community of believers add their thoughts. This week our “talk-back” was directed to a letter to press Congress to strengthen food assistance programs so that people will not continue to go hungry during the COVID crisis.

Hear this and more as David walks us through the Luke passage, and instructs us to have the audacity and persistence in prayer and action that Jesus describes in this parable of asking, seeking, and knocking.

download here