Liturgy that Matters – August 16, 2020 – Genesis 45:1-15

Themes: Joseph is a complicated figure. His young life was tough, to say the least. His adult life propels him into the seat of power over Egypt. In the midst of a famine, he has a significant impact on how the people of Egypt and neighboring lands are treated through their hunger and desperation. Like so many of us, he is unwilling to extend the same compassion to strangers that he needed once. But when it comes to his family, his compassion abounds. We are left with many questions for discussion. Questions about the ethics of caring only for our families in times of collective struggle. Questions about how to process the struggles of our youth to prevent them from encouraging our abuse of power over others. Questions about what enables us to justify our positions of power, including questionable theological claims.