“Jesus is just as loyal to the suffering of Iraqi and Russian soldiers as he is to the suffering of American and British soldiers.

He grabs all our boundaries away from us, and suddenly we are forced to see that we are a universal people.

Most people do not like that being exposed and shared.

Yes, God is on the side of the pain, and goes wherever the pain is (which is abundantly clear in the Gospels).

We can no longer preempt Jesus for our own group, religion, or country.

People seeking power cannot use him for their private purposes.

He belongs to the powerless.”

(Richard Rohr, Daily Meditation)