Tuesday - September 13, 2022

Kris Baker

SCRIPTURE

Matthew 7:12

So, in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

WORDS OF HOPE

Sometimes the words of wisdom that we need to hear or the lessons that we most need to learn come to us from unexpected places. For me, children’ s literature is one such place. Many of us are familiar with the works of the monumental British writer Roald Dahl. Dahl is most known for his children’s books Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, The BFG, and Matilda. Though I am a fan of most of Dahl’s writing, it is one of his lesser-known children’s books, The Magic Finger, that is my favorite. In this story, when a little girl gets angry, her finger starts to tingle and turn red. When she points it at the source of her anger, magic starts to happen. There is certainly much room for misuse of “power” in this scenario, but Dahl does not take the story in that direction. Rather, he teaches empathy by using the little girl’s magic finger to literally put characters in the shoes of others.

The little girl first uses her magic finger to turn her teacher into a cat after the teacher calls the girl stupid for misspelling the word cat. With a pointing of the red and tingling magic finger, right in front of the eyes of an entire class, the teacher begins to grow whiskers, ears, and a bushy cat tail. Suddenly, this educator receives a firsthand education on what it feels like to be laughed at by an entire room of students.

In the second incident in The Magic Finger, the little girl is upset by the family next door. A father and his two sons are avid hunters. After seeing them come home with ducks and a deer that they had shot, she is filled with anger and points her magic finger at them. The entire family of four, even the mom who was not a hunter, wakes up the next day to discover that not only have they shrunk, but their arms have been replaced by wings. And four ducks who had circled them the day before as they returned from their hunting expedition were now giant.

At first the children and parents were excited by the fact that they could fly. While they were out soaring in the sky, the other ducks took over the family’s home and they now had no place to live. They needed to build a nest. After working hard gathering sticks, leaves, and feathers for a cozy nest for four at the top of a tree, wind and rain came and the family quickly realized how scary it was to live outside in the elements. They also discovered how difficult it was to find food and eat with no hands. As if all of this wasn’t bad enough, the next morning they awoke to see the four giant ducks on the ground below their nest, three of them pointing shotguns up into the nest. The mom cried down, “You can’t shoot my children!” The giant duck responded with, “Why not? Your family shot six of mine yesterday.” With that, the father started bargaining with the ducks, begging them not to shoot and promising never again to hunt. His word was good enough for the giant ducks. The family came down from the tree, grew back to their normal size and their wings disappeared and their arms returned. The giant ducks also shrunk to normal duck size and returned to their familiar home back in nature. Not only did the human family destroy their guns, they also changed their name from The Gregg family to the Egg family to show respect for and solidarity with the ducks.

On the surface, The Magic Finger may be about guns, but to me it is about so much more. It’s about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. It’s about seeing and feeling life from a different perspective. It’s about doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. It is about empathy. What would the world be like if we had a magic finger that we could point at the rich and they would become poor; or, at the privileged and they would become marginalized? What would the world be like if people had to walk in the shoes of others, even if for only a short time? The idealist in me likes to think that our world would become a more understanding, compassionate, empathetic, and loving place. Since none of us has a magic finger to point at those who make us long for justice, the best we can do is turn our loving hearts toward those that anger us and hope that by experiencing our loving ways toward them, they will in turn change and pass that love on to all those whom they encounter. This is not magic; it is the real power of God’s infinite love.

A PRAYER

Loving God who has the power to change hearts and mend ways, help me never to forget that this earth is shared space and that everything I do, big and small, has an impact on others. Help me to greet those with whom I disagree with empathy and a heart full of real and life-changing love. Amen

DEVOTION AUTHOR

Kris Baker

Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

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Need Some Inspiration? Read our Daily Devotions

Wednesday - February 18, 2026

By Hardy Haberman • February 18, 2026

SCRIPTURE Isaiah 51:1 Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord. Look to the rock from which you were hewn and to the quarry from which you were dug. WORDS OF HOPE Knowing where I came from is important, especially in my faith journey. Isaiah speaks of the “rock from which we were hewn” and in my case I feel that is my history being raised as a Jew. My family were Reform Jews. We didn’t keep Kosher and our brand of Judaism was what we would call Progressive today. My mother was raised Christian and she converted when she married my father. She did her best to become a Jewish Mother, sometimes almost stereotypically so. But, the unique blending of faiths gave me a surprisingly strong foundation to build on. What I tell people now is that since converting to Christianity and joining Cathedral of Hope I have become a better Jew. What I mean is, Jesus was teaching Judaism. He was a Jew. He is often referred to as “rabbi” in scripture if you are looking for proof. Jesus was the first progressive Jew, and that’s why his teachings resonate with me so strongly. As I head into the Lenten season, the ashes on my forehead remind me of the quarry from which I was dug and the dust which someday I will again become. It is not a bad thing to know our impermanence. It reminds us of that which is eternal and something that transcends all divisions and descriptions. PRAYER May we build our faith on a strong foundation and understand that God’s grace will support us in whatever we do. DEVOTION AUTHOR Hardy Haberman

Tuesday - February 17, 2026

By Jonathon McClellan • February 17, 2026

SCRIPTURE Galatians 3.28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. WORDS OF HOPE Understanding On this Black History Month, we see a lot of division in our country, but we also are experiencing a time of quest for unity. If humanity is to come together, then it will be with the effort of humble people who try to understand one another. When you try to understand others, those same people will try to understand you. Most friendships that last happen because of the effort that was put into the relationships. Whatever you give is what you eventually get back. Someone who seeks to understand you is that much more likely to get your understanding than someone who shows little interest in your thoughts and feelings. The many who spend their lifetime trying to be understood often never get anywhere because if everyone is speaking at the same time, then there is no one listening. Wanting to be understood is not bad, but if your happiness depends on another’s approval, then what will you do when they criticize you? There are great people who are never understood in their own lifetime, and after they are re-discovered by the next generation, are spoken very highly of. The more you are able to understand others, the more you’ll be able to speak to your generation. Being understanding is not about what you know as much as it is about your attitude. By listening often, you show that you value others and teach others to do the same. It is extremely lonely when no one around you understands you, but it is not something you can force. If you never listen to others, then who will listen to you? Listening is not just about being silent; listening in making an effort to see what the other person is seeing. It does not mean that you must always agree or never have something to say. Instead, show that you care. This may mean that you have to wait a while to be understood, but don’t give up hoping that you will be one day. You may find only one person who truly understands you and you’ll be doing better than some great people who never found anyone who was able to. Always remember, God understands you, and you never have to go far to find God. PRAYER All knowing One, You are not understood by many, and yet, You love us. Help us to be as patient. When we are overlooked and criticized falsely, please remind us of our own worth. Bless You Spirit, because You know who we are. May we feel the love You have for us, and may we be at peace within ourselves. Bless You Jesus, the One who knows what it means to be misunderstood. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jonathon McClellan Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Monday - February 16, 2026

By Thomas Riggs • February 16, 2026

SCRIPTURE Acts 7:33-34 Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt. – WORDS OF HOPE In the seventh chapter of the book of Acts, the disciple known as Stephen is brought before the Sanhedrin and made to testify. For the length of the chapter, Stephen tells God’s story of salvation from Abraham to Joseph to Moses, including Moses encounter with God on Mount Sinai. It’s a familiar story to us, especially if you’ve seen Cecil B. DeMille’s Ten Commandments or sang the song We Are Standing on Holy Ground while holding hands at the end of Cathedral of Hope’s worship service. For Black theologians, the concept of Standing on Holy Ground isn’t necessarily reverential or worshipful. For Howard Thurman, James Cone, and other Black theologians, “standing on holy ground” is not a call to retreat from the world, but it is an awakening to God’s presence in the midst of struggle, suffering, and resistance. God says to Moses that she has seen the oppression of Her people in Egypt. He has heard their groaning. They have come down to set the people free. The burning bush appears while Israel groans under Egypt’s whip. For the disinherited, standing on holy ground means reclaiming dignity when the world says you have none. The ground becomes holy, says Howard Thurman, when a person refuses to accept degradation and listens for the divine underneath the noise of oppression. For James Cone, Black suffering in a racist society is precisely where God speaks and acts. Holy ground is slave quarters, jails, protest marches, and halls where truth is spoken to power. The ground is holy because God shows up where pain is real. It’s where God identifies with the oppressed. I have seen them. I have heard them. I am coming to set them free. In the Black church tradition, holy ground is communal and embodied. And you don’t go tippy-toe on it; you testify on it. Shoes come off to acknowledge that God has already claimed this space. God is already present where liberation is being demanded. In these days where Minnesotans toes are freezing, that ice covered sidewalk is holy ground. Wherever Black men and women have stood before the baton and the dogs, that street is holy ground. The question is this: When and where are we being called to stand in solidarity with God, remove our shoes, and stand on holy ground. PRAYER Holy God, you see the suffering of your people and hear every groan, and you make holy the ground where courage, resistance, and hope take root. Open our eyes to recognize your presence in places of struggle, and give us the courage to stand in solidarity, to remove our shoes, and to refuse the lie that any person lacks dignity. Send us, as you sent Moses, to stand where liberation is needed, to testify to your justice, and to walk with you until all your people are free. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Thomas Riggs

Friday - February 13, 2026

By Rev. Dr. Gary Kindley • February 13, 2026

SCRIPTURE Mark 12:28-31 One of the scribes came near…and asked Jesus, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” WORDS OF HOPE If You Want to Love Others, Love Yourself Very Well Empathy—the ability to understand and to share the feelings of others—is essential to the development of the human condition. Respected anthropologist Margaret Mead knew this. When Dr. Mead was once asked what she considered to be the signs of the beginning of civilization, she pointed to a healed femur, the large thigh bone. It had been uncovered at an ancient archeological site. Someone had broken their femur, which meant certain death. They couldn’t run away from predators, forage for food, or go to water for drink. Someone had to care for them for the many weeks it took the femur to heal. Compassion, empathy, steadfast care are marks of civilization—humanity at its finest. Various spiritual traditions have known that too. For both Judaism and followers of Jesus, the greatest commandment is to love God and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. The healthy child that has been nurtured and loved has an innate gift of self-love, compassion, strength and empathy. Sometimes, childhood wounds can cause us to shrink under the weight of shame. When we are burdened by childhood experiences of doing wrong or being deeply wounded by others, this weight can be carried well into our adult life. This requires mindful self-compassion. Our intentional focus of healing ourselves through grounding, connection, seeking help, and letting go. When we are consciously caring for ourselves, both physically and emotionally, we strengthen our connection with our Higher Power and with others. From there, empathy, compassion and love can grow and flourish and we become healthier, attractive and more fulfilled human beings. Such work can transform a community, a nation, a world. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. uplifted the identity and value of people of color as equally worthy of respect and dignity. His wisdom was not merely about lifting the lives of black people. Dr. King aimed at liberating society and culture from oppressive beliefs and systems that kept civilization from flourishing. It is an ongoing journey and each of us plays a role we dare not forget. If you want to love God and others, love yourself very well. PRAYER Holy One, may I love myself well enough today so that my self-acceptance spills over to uplift the life of someone I know or meet. May it be so. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Rev. Dr. Gary Kindley, LPC Pastoral Psychotherapist drgk.org

Thursday - February 12, 2026

By Dr. Pat Saxon • February 12, 2026

READING “We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.” Ella Baker “Justice cannot be attained until those who are not afflicted are as outraged as those who are.” Ella Baker WORDS OF HOPE Born in 1903 in Norfolk, Virginia, Ella Baker is known as the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.* Her inspiration to stand strong in the face of oppression came early in life hearing the narratives about her maternal grandmother “Bet” Ross who was born into slavery in Halifax, North Carolina. One impactful story was how her grandmother refused to marry the man her slave owner had chosen as her husband, an act of personal integrity and resistance she would pay for with a beating and a sentence of hard labor in the fields. But it did not break her. She could always rally herself to attend to the celebrations at the plantation and dance until the early hours of the morning--evidence that her spirit was unbowed. Her mother set an early example of activism in her work with the Black Baptist Women’s Missionary movement, women who aspired to the values of strength, humility, piety, and selfless service. The values imprinted themselves in Ella and her siblings traveled with her for meetings. In high school and college at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, Baker would distinguish herself, graduating as Valedictorian and already engaging in resistance against unjust policies. In a time when the voices and vision of male leaders overshadowed women, she became a power and presence. In the 1920’s she traveled to New York to engage in social justice work and was swept up in the fervent artistic and intellectual life of the Harlem Renaissance. She held offices in the NAACP whose 117 th anniversary we celebrate today, becoming the highest-ranking woman as National Director of Branches, but she felt the organization was too bureaucratic and out of touch with the lives of ordinary black people. Later she helped organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. After the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, catalyzed by Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat to a white passenger, Baker co-founded In Friendship to help support activism in the South and provide for the needs of those who had been incarcerated in protests. She did not forget “the nameless cooks and maids who walked endless miles for a year to bring about the breach in the walls of segregation.” Throughout her life she dedicated herself to the economic struggles of ordinary people, securing voting rights, nonviolent resistance, and organizing at the grass roots level. Developing young people’s gifts and skills for leadership was another of Baker’s passions. Rather than encouraging the young black college students who had protested segregated lunch counters in Greensboro, NC, to join SCLC, as Rev. Dr. King envisioned, she invited them to a meeting at her alma mater Shaw University, a gathering which would lead to the formation of The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Such notables as Diane Nash, Marion Barry, and John Lewis were among these next generation leaders and all found her extraordinarily compelling. Howard Zinn, another of the respected elders of SNCC, remembers that one day as protesters were being released from jail, he saw Baker not exercising her rhetorical skills in the media spotlight, but sitting alone at a table, talking to each person, asking What do you need? Do you need a meal? Medical Care? Funds for being off work? In SNCC they spoke of her as Godmother and Fundi, a Swahili term that translates one who passes along skills from one generation to another. In a time when many political leaders are practicing erasure of the past of people of color and LGBT+ folks, let it be an act of resistance that here we resurrect the memory of this remarkable leader of the Civil Rights movement. PRAYER Grandmother, let your voice and vision come to us today, guiding us in the path of justice and non-violent resistance. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dr. Pat Saxon

Tuesday - February 10, 2026

By Kris Baker • February 10, 2026

READING … Don't speak of love while practicing hate with tools of fear…. Rev. Gerald Dillenbeck WORDS OF HOPE I looked at the prompt for today’s devotion, “All the News That’s Fit to Print Day,” and thought to myself, “Well, this is going to be a very short reflection.” It is easy to make a list of what I consider “news” that is unfit for print; what do I consider print-worthy news? What do I consider “good news”? My thoughts went immediately to the Good News given to us in the Gospels of Jesus. Perhaps the most important good news that Jesus shares is the words of The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10), spoken during his Sermon on the Mount. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Shortly after his baptism and temptation in the wilderness, Jesus spoke the words to a crowd, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” These words mark the beginning of his life as a preacher. The Sermon on the Mount, however, is said to be his first sermon. This led me to try to understand the difference between preaching and sermonizing. The two actions are used synonymously by many. Some say, however, that the distinction is that both are persuasive speaking, sermons are specifically delivered by a clergy person in a religious context. I then found an explanation that seemed to clarify things a little more for me. Preaching is intentionally persuasive and plays to our emotions. Sermons, on the other hand, are intended to convey information, facts, without the specific intention of eliciting an emotional response. I don’t know how accurate this distinction is, but it makes sense to me as to why Jesus’s words in Matthew 5 are called a sermon. They are informative words that Jesus is imparting to the crowd. They are the good news, the news worth printing. In these words of the Sermon on The Mount, or The Beatitudes, Jesus makes eight statements. He doesn’t use “scare tactics.” Jesus doesn’t speak of consequences. He simply makes eight statements. As we read them today, they are eight powerful statements, eight powerful statements that, if you think about it, are the sum of all of Jesus’s teaching throughout his ministry. Would the world perhaps feel a little more gentle and a little more hopeful if those who support public display of the Ten Commandments instead wanted to display, and more importantly to believe and live by, Jesus’s words from the Sermon on the Mount? PRAYER Dear God, let us give thanks for all those who were and are living examples of Jesus’s words and teaching, those who exemplify peace, pureness of heart, those who show mercy and a hunger for righteousness, those who mourn, those whose resilience rises as meekness. Today we remember with gratitude especially Richard Allen, Absalom Jones, James Varick, Harriet Tubman, Booker T. Washington, Mary McLeod Bethune, Marion Anderson, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., Ruby Bridges, Fannie Lou Hamer, Barack Obama and all those brothers and sisters of color whose lives have made our world a better place for all of us. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Kris Baker Order of St. Francis and St. Clare