Deep South Deacon

On June 17th of this year, a horrific act of violence, a mass murder took place at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston SC.  In a place where everyone should feel safe and secure, nine souls, including the senior pastor Clementa Pinckney went to their final judgements that day at the hands of 21 year old Dylann Roof.

Subsequent social media photos of Roof posing with the Confederate battle flag have not only re-ignited controversy concerning that flag, but some have used it as a catalyst to begin to eradicate all symbols, leaders, and traces of the Confederacy and the antebellum South.

eBay, Amazon.com, Apple and other retailers and e-tailers have declared that they will no longer sell any merchandise emblazoned with the confederate battle flag.

The text below is an approximation of the homily delivered for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B at St Luke the Evangelist Church in Slidell LA.  The scripture readings on which this homily is based can be found by clicking here.

There is an elephant in the room!  It was one of the most popular expressions of the last decade.