Real change happens so quickly that we often don’t notice when it occurs. The changing of seasons is a good example. Clearly, winter and spring are very different. It’s hot during the day and cold at night, but when we see spring flowers blooming along the roadside, we realize spring has arrived. We tend to think that big changes will feel different, but sometimes small signs reveal the change. For instance, when our foreheads sweat even with little movement, we recognize that the temperature is getting warmer. What changes might you not notice or recognize? Perhaps your weight? - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Jesus taught, “If you got slapped your right cheek, turn the other cheek.” One of the actions that the Jewish Qumran community denied and forbade was “pointing with the left hand.” Violations of this rule brought sanctions from the community. To hit the right cheek means the opponent strikes with an unclean left or right backhand. This cheek slap is deliberately insulting and humiliating rather than merely a pain-inflicting action. Therefore, this teaching of Jesus, “turn the other cheek,” suggests not allowing oneself to be struck by the back of the hand and can signify not being helpless but being active in nonviolent resistance without seeking revenge or retaliation. Perhaps this teaching carries a frightening meaning. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”