Confrontation

Mark 1:21-28: The very first act of Jesus' ministry that Mark describes is confronting an "unclean spirit" that is depriving a man of heath, life, meaning, purpose and joy. This tells us that opposing whatever deprives human beings of health, life, meaning. purpose and joy is at the heart of Jesus' ministry. God opposes whatever stands in the way of our having what Jesus called "abundant life." This took place right in the synagogue on a Sabbath, pointing to the Church's calling to confront brokenness even in church, even when it's caused by the church, as is too often the case for people declared by our culture to be "not normal," including our LGBTQ companions in the faith.