the greatest commandment

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 – Hear, O Israel:  The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.  You shall love the Lord with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.  Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart.  Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.  Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Scripture is chock full of commandments and regulations. Some are very culturally bound and outdated; others are timeless.  Some help us function as a society:  do not kill or steal.  Others help us respect one another:  honor your parents and don’t commit adultery.  Some help us treat God with reverence:  don’t curse in God’s name and honor the sabbath.  But the greatest commandment is this:  Love God with all your heart, all your mind and all your strength.

That’s really all that God wants from us.  Love God.  Love God’s creation.  All the time with all our might.  In fact, if we do this, the greatest commandment, we don’t really need any other rules.

This sounds so simple, but is so hard to do, so God also calls us to remind ourselves about this rule all the time.  Put this commandment on post-it notes all over your house to remind you when brushing your teeth or getting a glass out of the cupboard.  Teach your children to love and talk about it all the time.  This will lead us to hold each other accountable and challenge each other to love more.  Put it on your keys so you are reminded to love while driving or once you get to work.  Surround yourself with people who will push and encourage you to love more fully.

It’s human nature to find a shortcut or exception to the rule.  We rationalize that our action or inaction don’t really make a difference in the larger scheme of things.  But God wants our full effort 24/7, making God’s love real everywhere, all the time.

the humble will be exalted

Luke 18:9-14 – He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt:  “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’  But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’  I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

It’s easy to be like the Pharisee.  “Thank God I’m not poor and homeless, and I’d never cheat on my wife, like my neighbor did.  I’m a community leader and respected by everyone.  I tithe and go to church every week.  I’m a good Christian.”

Even when we know we aren’t all that God intends, it’s also hard to feel penitent like the tax collector.  Our sins aren’t that bad most of the time, are they?  A little lie here, a little cheat there, some disrespect or unkind words.  Nothing that makes us an outcast.  And certainly nothing that makes us beat our chest and beg for mercy.  We justify that our sins are more like minor misdemeanors, not felonies.

But sin separates us from God and those we love.  One small brick at a time, we build a wall of little sins and shame.  Before we know it, the wall blocks out God’s love and mercy.  We may not have swindled boldly like the tax collector, but our stack of small sins weighs heavily and keeps us from living in God’s light.

Humility helps us break down the wall we have built and join the circle again.  When we say, “I was wrong.  I knew what I said would hurt you, but I said it anyway. Please forgive me,” we make ourselves vulnerable.   Our apology may be rejected, but usually, when we risk humility, we redeem our relationship with God and the person we wronged.  And the wall of sins starts to come down.

the least of these

Matthew 25:37-40 – Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?  And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing?  And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’  And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’

These are haunting words: “Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

How many times have we walked past the person on the streets asking for a little pocket change?  Sure, you can argue that giving your change is probably not the best way to help someone who is homeless.  But we rarely take the time to speak or even look at them and smile, let alone listen to their story. And the prisoner? Well, we avoid even thinking about them.

In recent years, the media has begun shining a light on the injustice of our justice system. People are jailed because they can’t afford to pay parking tickets and fines or couldn’t check in for probation because they had no transportation. Some sit on death row because they couldn’t afford a good lawyer or were wrongly accused.

Too often their main crime was being poor and marginalized in our society. We failed to provide access to food, shelter, education and jobs. We cut resources for mental health and substance abuse programs so there was nowhere to turn for help. Once released, we make it almost impossible to rent an apartment, get a job or vote for leaders to represent their concerns.

I’ve had the privilege to know a few women coming from jail. One had been picked up for prostitution and drug possession. What led to this, however, was losing her job because her daughter was lit on fire by her boyfriend, and as the mother, had a breakdown watching her daughter slowly die in the hospital. Certainly, she did the crime and paid her debt to society, but knowing the rest of the story, I learned not to judge because I might have done the same in her shoes.

Her story changed me. It softened my heart and made me look at the system with different eyes. Advocating for a more just and equitable society is how I stand up the for least of these.

do justice, love kindness

Micah 6:8: He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

If I had to pick one verse in the Bible to guide my faith, it would be Micah 6:8. Do justice. Love kindness. Walk humbly with God. I think it’s my favorite verse because it moves me beyond thinking to action.

It’s not enough to just learn about injustice. We are called to DO justice, to leave the comfort of home, get our hands dirty and encounter injustice. It’s not enough to be kind when we have the energy or time, but to be kind when we are tired, hurt or treated unfairly. Loving kindness is what Jesus and martyrs do. They are kind even when it hurts them. And walking humbly with God requires not judging how or if others are walking with us, not walking with a boastful presence that says “look at how holy I am.” Humility knows even at our best, we can be better with God at our side.

God also knows we need all three legs of this stool to support us. Sometimes when we get involved in doing justice, we become indignant about injustice and vilify the oppressor. It may fuel us forward for a time, but it won’t transform the situation. Nelson Mandela’s loving kindness made it possible to bring reconciliation and healing after decades of being a political prisoner. Dylann Roof was forgiven by those who survived his shots at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. Loving kindness and walking humbly temper and transform our actions when we do justice.

In this time, when there seems to be so much injustice, it’s hard to find the energy to do justice. Where do we begin? How do we prioritize? Can we really make a difference? Maybe as we march and organize, faithfully showing up with a kind and humble heart is what really brings justice and transforms our world.

be still

Psalm 46:1-2, 10 – God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea. Be still and know that I am God.

Be still. Be still and know. Be still and know I am with you in the chaos, in the fear, in changing times and in the joy and serendipity of this moment.

Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in your peace, breathe out patience in this time. Breathe in your love, breathe out compassion for others. With each breath, let me fall more into your likeness.

Help me linger in your presence, to revel in the beauty of this moment, to feel the here and now.

Breathe in, breathe out. Be still and know this is the moment.

Not the past, not the future. But here. Right now.

Breathe.

make me know your ways

Psalm 25:4-7 — Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.  Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.  Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.  Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O LORD!

We have a rescue dog named Skippy from our local shelter.  He’s a 95-pound lab mix that loves to take long walks.  He’s a very happy dog, until you want to take a different route.  Sometimes, he crouches down in the street and becomes an unmovable weight.  I pull on the leash, but he looks away and ignores me.  As we both try to exert our will, it’s never quite clear who will win the standoff.

Too often, we are like Skippy.  We do what is right and expected of us most of the time, but put us in a certain situation, and we just have to have our own way.  Maybe it’s our sullen and rude teenager who sets us off.  Maybe we didn’t get enough sleep or are hungry.  Maybe we are under the influence of drugs or alcohol and it changes our outlook.  We can stay on the path most of the time without a problem, until we are faced with something that challenges us.  And then, all bets are off.  We pull away from God’s path, we resist what we know is right, and we forge a path on our own to prove that we are strong enough to resist God’s guiding hand.

Thankfully, God never seems to let go of that invisible tether.  We may test the length of the rope and we may pull and twist and growl.  We may go off exploring new places and get into some trouble along the way.  We may willfully disobey.  But God is patient, full of a steadfast love that we only wish we could have for others.  Teach me your paths, O God.  Make me know your ways.  Lead me in truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation.  May it be so.

lighten the load

Matthew 11:28-30 – “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”

The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi is on October 4 but celebrated in the beginning of October.  Often we associate blessing the animals with St. Francis, and churches will invite people to bring their pets to be blessed.   I used to have a statue of St. Francis in my garden with a sparrow in his hand, his calming presence there to remind me to be gentle with the earth and receive its abundant blessings.  But we feast with St Francis for more than his love of nature and animals.

St. Francis of Assisi was the son of a prosperous merchant, but had encounter with Christ that led him to a life in poverty.  He renounced his wealth, and began doing menial labor and begging for food.  Others saw this simple life and joined what has become the Order of St Francis.  His life exemplified letting go of the stuff that can weigh us down, the clutter that trips us up, so we can be present in the moment and enjoy life fully.

We all carry heavy burdens, mostly of our own choosing.  We think we need to hold on to stuff in case we need it later or because we just can’t let go.  But often, it just weighs us down and keeps us from moving to where we need to go.  We trudge along, shoulders aching from all the stress we carry too.  Jesus calls us to lighten up materially and spiritually, and learn from those who travel light.  We don’t need fancy gadgets.  We don’t need to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders.  We need a gentle and humble heart.  We need a community of travelers.  We need to our hands to be free to do God’s work and accept the goodness that surrounds us.  And when we do, the burden is light and we are filled with joy.

don’t worry, be happy

Psalm 37:1-5 – Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers, for they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb.  Trust in the LORD, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.  Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.

Don’t worry, be happy.  Easier said than done.  Too often we fret over the wicked bullies.  Why do they do the things they do? How do they get away with such evil things?  What did we do to deserve this?  How do we stop their wave of destruction?  Sometimes it feels like there is a cosmic game of wack-a-mole at play in our world.  One source of evil pops up, and we try to wack it down, but another one pops up.  The more we wack, the more they pop.  It’s exhausting and unending.  And wickedness don’t seem to fade like grass, but take over like kudzu.  It’s everywhere, and almost impossible to uproot.

The psalmist points us another way.  Trust God and do good.  Take delight, and God will give you the desires of your heart.  This isn’t to say that evil doesn’t exist, but that we don’t need to be part of it and give it our energy.  Fretting over why someone is so mean and destructive does not make them less mean.  It just saps our energy for goodness and light.  When we become God’s light in the world, and shine in the midst of darkness, the light overcomes the darkness.  And as we shine, we light a path for others to escape the darkness and add to the light.

So make your own little corner of the world the best it can be.  Be kind to everyone you meet, and treat them as you would want to be treated.  Live this day with joy, embracing the abundance of life!  Be the change you desire in the world.  Evil will always be around you, and there are times you have to confront evil.  But worrying about evil is wasted energy and detracts us from our mission.  Trust in God, commit to the holy path.  Skip and be joyful as you go!  Evil will wither and run out of energy if we don’t feed it.  Take delight and gain the desires of your heart.

how do we use our talents?

Matthew 25:14-30:  “For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.  The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents.  In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents.  But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.”

Jesus tells a parable about using what you have to bring favor with God.  Although in the story, talents are money, in many ways, our talents, as we use the term today, are a form of valuable currency as well.   These talents can be the basis of our paid vocation or a source of fun and relaxation.

Whether it’s a talent for cooking, building, coaching or teaching, we all have talents that bring out the best in us and others.  Sometimes we use these talents to their full extent, and in the process, develop new talents.  Sometimes we put them on the back burner, and they languish there.  Sometimes our talents are hidden, and we don’t even know they exist because we haven’t explored that part of our selves.

And how we use our talents matters.  In the parable, the master rewards the servants who grow their talents, but takes away from the one who hides the talents entrusted to him.  Jesus warns, “For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”

How often do we sit on the sidelines when life calls for volunteers?  How often do we reserve our talents for those special occasions, like they are fancy china, instead of using them every day?  When we hold our talents in reserve, they atrophy instead of growing stronger.  When we live out of abundance, more comes to us.  How will you use your talents today?

 

a new wind blows

Acts 2:1-8:  When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.  And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.  Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. 

We are gathered with the masses on the Jewish day of Pentecost.   All of the sudden, there’s a mighty wind and fire surrounds us.  People start talking in languages they don’t know about this mighty Jesus, the Son of God.  We should be scared, but they are speaking in our native language, and they are so inspired by this man who is also God.  It should be pandemonium, like the Tower of Babel falling down, and yet this time, the scrambled language is to bring God’s people together again.

On this day, we celebrate that no matter what language you speak or where you come from, God is in our midst through the Holy Spirit, blowing like a wind, burning like a fire, filling us with a love so great, that we have to share it with everyone we meet.  Being in the presence of the Holy Spirit, we are filled with a power that comes from deep within us, making us bold where we used to be timid.

In this story, Peter finds his voice.  He has traded in his status of follower for leader.   He isn’t denying his bond with Jesus or falling asleep on the job.  He isn’t that exuberant disciple, waving his hand in the air for Jesus to pick him to be his favorite.  No, on his day of Pentecost, Peter knows who he is and what he’s meant to do.  He is meant to feed and nurture the flock of people yearning to know God in a new way.  He is meant to go to the corners of the Earth and share the Good News.  He is meant to die a painful death, knowing that the path to salvation is not an easy one.

On this day, Peter is resurrected.  He is a new creation.  He is ready to take on a new mission.  And we can be too.