Why do we keep doing this? Going to church. Praying the same things over and over. Hoping for a better world. Protesting and voting and working for justice.

The widow’s persistence is bold. It’s courageous. It’s a kind of holy defiance.

Earlier this week the bishops of our denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,  wrote a letter that addresses the civil unrest we’re experiencing, saying “our faith compels us to stand where Jesus stands–with and for those whom society often seeks to exclude, erase or diminish.” The letter reminds us that “Our shared confession, that every person is created in the image of God, (Genesis 1:27) grounds us in the conviction that all people possess inherent dignity.

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom of acorns nestled at the bottom of a huge old oak tree. The acorn citizens who lived there went about their daily business with great purpose and energy. They would spend all day oiling, polishing and shining their outer shells. They believed this would improve their longevity and overall well-being.