my greatest act of protest

I have marched on the White House, the UN,  the Capital and outside the US Embassy of foreign soil.

I have picked coffee for the Sandinista Government at the height of the Contra War six miles from the fighting.

I have held signs, made phone calls and sent letters.

I have been accused of abandoning the faith and have held my head up as I was slandered.

But in the last 24 hours I have engaged in the two boldest acts of defiance yet in my life:
I celebrated the Eucharist at church on Sunday, 
and  I placed by five-year-old daughter on the school bus today.

Sunday as I held the bread high above my head, I proclaimed to the Universe and to Satan that Love has won, that the Evil that fell upon Sandy Hook has been crushed, and Christ was and is and will be victorious.

Hebrews  10:34 reads that the world has "plundered our possessions" and we witnessed that last Friday. As I broke the Host I proclaimed that Christ has plundered Hell  and taken back what was stolen that day. Forever.

This morning I lived out the reality of that theological truth; I placed my daughter on the school bus.

Up until that moment I had felt physically ill. The bus was early, she turned and kissed me quickly, shouted "I love you", ran up the steps and blew me kisses out the window. I had no time to cry, worry, or even pray again. The Master has my daughter. He alone has the words of Life, power over death, and breathed the stars into existence. He will take care of her body and her mind.

So my greatest acts of defiance were in reality my greatest acts of trust I suppose. I trust more today, and I am more constrained to proclaim the Good News of Jesus' plundering of Hell and to battle injustice every time it rears its ugly head.

To God be the glory.