Can our divisions cease? - September 5, 2025

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 31; PM Psalm 35; 1 Kings 11:26-43; James 4:13-5:6; Mark 15:22-32

The scriptures from 1 Kings and Mark have a thread in common today. They both include stories of torn clothing that is divided – and remind me of the divisions among us.

In Mark 15, we pick up in the crescendo of Jesus’ final moments with a story that is sad and familiar. Jesus is taken to Golgotha, crucified, and the soldiers divide his clothes, gambling for who will get which piece. They play this game, diverting their attention from the gravity of public execution and dehumanizing the one who God sent to save humanity from sin.

In 1 Kings, we read a less familiar story of Jeroboam, a servant of King Solomon. King Solomon was known for his great wisdom; however, he strayed in faithfulness to God. He “loved many foreign women” from Moab, Edom, Sidonia, and other lands. He sacrificed to other gods and built shrines in honor of them. The Lord was angry with Solomon and warned that adversaries would be raised up because of the king’s divided loyalties. The lowly Jeroboam was approached by the prophet Ahijah one day. Ahijah tore a new cloak into twelve pieces – and told Jeroboam a message from God: “I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and will give you ten tribes. One tribe will remain his, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem…” Word got out to King Solomon and Jeroboam fled to Egypt until Solomon’s death. Jeroboam fought and became the first king of the Northern Kingdom (Israel), while Solomon’s son Rehoboam was king of the Southern Kingdom (Judah). The division of the fabric of Israel’s tribes was painful, and it helped define the stories of God’s people through time. This scripture is a reminder that even today the Holy Land is a space of division and discord.

The divisions among us – in land, in loyalties, in faith, in relationships – are not new. “Can’t we all get along?” was the plea Rodney King cried during the Los Angeles riots in the 1990s. I am not certain if all divisions will cease in this age. It is part of our human condition to stumble into or seek out separation. I am reminded to lift my eyes, voice, and life to God. Join me in praying today for harmony in the spaces of division that surround us. I offer for you the prayer For the Human Family within the Book of Common Prayer on page 815:

“O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Always with God’s help,

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

Reflect on where you see divisions in your sphere of existence. Who are the players? What are the themes at the center of tension? Journal about what your role is, and what is yours to do today.

Pray for the spaces of tension and division that are apparent to you, and ask God to equip you as needed to speak and act in love for harmony.