Proper 27 C + The truth + 11.9.25
M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Haggai 1:15b-2:9; Psalm 145:1-5, 18-22; 2 Thess. 2:1-5, 13-17; St Luke 20:27-38) “Now [God] is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to [God] all of them are alive." I say this with the utmost respect for my friends who are believers, but I will admit that, as a believer, it is my agnostic friends who push me into a better understanding of my faith. When I was in high school, a few of my close friends often asked me pointed questions about what I believed and why I held those beliefs. They could not quite get into traditional religion, but oddly enough, they encouraged mine. Because I had to develop reasons behind my beliefs, I could not simply have blind faith and be taken seriously by my friends. So, I have some sympathy for the particular group of Sadducees who approach Jesus in the passage we hear from Luke today. They are not sure about the resurrection. They are not convinced that bodies can come back to life...