Micah 6: 1-8                                                                                                                 Rev. Dr. Galen E. Russell III

Matthew 5: 1-12                                                                                                                            February 1, 2026

1 Corinthians 1; 18-31

“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.”

Prayer: Holy One, may we trust and have faith in the foolishness of your words and your Spirit, even if it goes against our world’s wisdom. In Christ we pray, Amen. 

It’s a topsy-turvy world out there, isn’t it? I mean so much goes on that seems completely the opposite of what should be, perhaps, There’s confusion and disorder in the streets of America. There’s flippant disregard for normalcy, good morals, solid ethics, or faith-filled values, it seems to me.

 Honestly, I find myself struggling with the social upheaval in Minneapolis. On the one hand, There’s the obvious brutality exhibited by ICE officers against the protestors. Violent arrests, and some were killed. And on the other hand, there’s the obvious antagonism by some protestors who do things like kicking out the lights of the law enforcement vehicles.

One hand, There’s the Gestapo-like tactics being normalized by some federal officers, fueled by inflammatory and false claims without evidence rhetoric coming from top government officials. And there’s violent damage being done as some protestors are hurling items at people inside hotels where federal officers were staying, smashing windows, and graffitiing vulgarities across the building’s façade.

Someone said last week, “God must be having a tough time dealing with his people these days.”

Heck, I’m having a tough time dealing with some of God’s people these days! Make no mistake, peaceful protesting against injustice, unmoral, and unethical practices are not only necessary, but it is also vital.

But so many circumstances in and around our nation show people behaving badly no matter what side you are on. People forgetting what God requires of us. People disregarding who is supposed to come first in our lives. People ignoring what Jesus teaches.

Where’s the basic, straightforward understanding of our faith that God has shown us, again and again? God has shown us, O people, what is good and what is required. What is valuable in life, and who is valuable in life. How we are to live which supports these values. And not just supporting them but normalizing them!

Our liturgy hints at it. It’s quite simple—do what is fair and just, love and practice mercy and kindness with all neighbors, and walk humbly with God.

Jesus puts it this way—love God, love others, as you love yourself. Let’s normalize that! Shall we?

And normalizing what God requires I think means that we are the ones who have to resist the trends.  Perhaps we should speak about Christian values? And not just to speak, but to live these more robustly than ever before? For Minnesotans to flip on its head the polarizing bad behavior shown by aggressive politicians, brutal ICE officers, and violent protestors by showing something akin to God’s life.

All of this I think says we are called to be examples of people living with a topsy-turvy faith. A faith that goes against the trends of our culture and the world. A faith that embraces that the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of God’s saving power.

This is revealed through the tragedy of Jesus Christ’s death on a cross. The tragedy of the cross—Jesus’ death—is really dumb for those who are embedded in culture. Or who are non-spiritual. Or who are not interested in faith. To people of the world, the death of Jesus is very foolish on God’s part.

But God’s foolishness is way wiser than human wisdom. In the cross, God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.

You see, God isn’t impressed with what impresses people. You know, like success and power in life, business, or even in the church. Like royalty. Like having academic degrees, or even the right nationality. You don’t have to be wise, always doing good, a highly evolved person. You don’t have to have all your debts paid. You don’t have to be a sinless person, which is impossible anyway. Not that these are bad—they just carry no weight with God. You can’t earn God’s love, grace, and salvation.

All that’s required is a topsy-turvy faith in God’s love and grace. Love and grace that aren’t earned but are given. For those coming before God aware of their flaws, you find God’s love. For those poor in spirit, you find God’s kindom. For those who die in Christ, it means finding new life.

 For those who see that the cross is God’s way to a redeemed life, the cross shows where the power of God made our new lives possible. God is to be praised for this. We can’t boast that we did it.

And our consciences can be stirred. And our lives might become topsy-turvy. There are lots of stories like this one... in the news these days, but I read on Friday that a woman named Laura Wittmann was on the leadership track at the office supply company called Uline. Last week she resigned from her position because the company’s owners were huge supporters of the current Whtie House administration. It is Ms. Wittmann’s opinion that she could no longer work for a company that she believes is contributing to America’s downward spiral towards fascism. Her conscience was stirred as events unfolded in Minneapolis, and she submitted her 2-page resignation email to the entire company sharing her opinions. The email was removed 40 minutes later by the company’s management (A resignation and call to conscience at company owned by MAGA billionaires, retrieved January 30, 2026).

 But her conscience was stirred. What she saw in the company was in conflict with her values. Ms. Wittmann’s life got upended, yes. But something deep within her conscience spoke to her. And perhaps her conscience is clear now.

Jesus’ words can do that. Because his words are often paradoxical opposite from the world, different from what much of the world lives by. And if we’re truthful about it, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” doesn’t work so well from our human point of view. Neither does “Blessed are the meek.” And most of the other Beatitudes.

But when the Spirit of God gets in us, these little statements reach an inner part of our souls, turning things upside down. These little statements can reveal the power of God. The poor in spirit receive God’s kin-dom. The meek inherit the earth. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. The pure in heart see God and God’s power.

And I don’t know about you, but I need the power of God to help us in this crisis right now. I pray for the power of God to touch the hearts and lives of people like us, people who are formed by the word of God, people who are fashioned into the image of God, people who know that God is the source of our life in Christ.

And I believe that if the power of God has enough power to give new life to Jesus after the tragedy of the cross, I have to believe that this power of God is strong enough to overpower hate. Fervent enough to counteract despair. Resilient enough to endure people behaving badly.

But it won’t be unless we let God work through us. If we let God flip our lives upside down, help us to live with a topsy-turvy faith, then all the best parts of Jesus can live in us. Become normal in us. His spirit, (which is the Holy Spirit), his love, faith, compassion, kindness, justice, patience, and godliness. All of it.



Let us pray. Thank you, God, that you have given us the vision of what is good, what is required of us. May we turn to you and your power to give us hope and a vision for your future to be made through us. In Christ we pray, Amen.