April 20, 2024
Day 13 – April 20
Contributed by Fran Allyn
I Samuel 17: 32 David said to Saul,
“Let no one lose heart on account of the Philistine;
your servant will go and fight him.”
The Underdog
(from Walking In Grace)
A couple of years ago, a team from little Saint Peter's University in Jersey City, New Jersey, nearly made it to the finals of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Even casual fans like me pulled for them.
What makes us root for the underdog? I mean, who rooted for Goliath except his fellow Philistines? – and I bet even a few of them were secretly pulling for David. I think what we see in the underdog is ourselves, up against forces that often feel overpowering.
Wasn't Jesus himself an underdog?
He wasn't the progeny of a revered rabbi. He wasn't born to royalty. He was the son of a humble carpenter, brought into this world by a Jewish woman of even more modest origins. He led a ragtag squad of unemployed laborers in a small corner of the Middle East spreading a simple gospel of love and justice that would change the course of history.
If ever there was an underdog religion, it was early Christianity, whose adherents were persecuted and martyred, whose faith was outlawed by the Roman Empire. And yet, Christianity prevailed, built upon a rock I can't help pointing out was named Saint Peter.
Christianity is still an underdog religion.
Practiced as Jesus commanded,
we champion the poor.
We defend the defenseless,
feed the hungry,
clothe the naked,
house the homeless,
love the unloved.
Many of us feel like underdogs faced with the problems of the world. And yet every time we do the things our Christianity asks of us, we triumph.
We overcome.
We are David against Goliath.
Lord, our faith is our power.
Your strength is ours
when we follow Your teachings.
Edward Grinnan
Looking Ahead
from a prayer for the National Day of Prayer
Lord, You call us to be imitators of You, Lord,
as Your children speaking and acting
as You have written and walked.
We pray that the Lord would be blessed by all people
in everything we think, feel, say, and do;
that Jesus would be glorified and His love multiplied through His followers
wherever He has established them.
May God continue to bless our prayer journey together,
Board of Deacons
United Church of Colchester