Read Mark 11:27-33.
By what authority?
is another way of saying
Who do you think you are?
Why are you here?
You’ll never belong in this temple.
You’re not one of us.
Have you ever noticed
that one’s authority is only questioned
when boundaries are pushed,
when a line is crossed,
when tables have been turned?
Authority is only an issue
when the wrong people –
the people who are meant
to stay in their place,
to keep quiet
and fall in line –
wield it.
Authority is for
the authorities –
the ones who have earned it.
By what authority?
is the same question
asked of people of color who say:
Black Lives Matter. Stop killing us! I can’t breathe.
asked of women and LGBTQIA+ folks
who step into pulpits and preach sermons;
asked of refugees and migrants
who seek safe asylum at our borders;
asked of all who dare to speak
unpopular truths to powerful systems.
To be fair
to those who questioned him,
it’s difficult to recognize
the way, the truth, and the light
in human form.
Pray
God who crossed boundaries and turned tables, lift our voices in songs of protest against unjust authority, and help us recognize you in our midst. Amen.
Rev. Jessie Light-Wells
Campus Minister
Words for Waiting 