Living in the Spirit
October 17, 2015

Scripture Reading: Mark 10:25-35

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were greatly astounded and said to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.’ –Mark 10:25-35

I sometimes have trouble getting a thin thread through the eye of a needle much less a camel. Jesus uses this absurd illustration to describe the challenges faced by all of us who worship wealth to enter the kingdom of God. Now few, if any, of us actually proclaim we worship wealth but our actions speak louder than our words at times. There is hope, however, because God can do the impossible.

How do we order our lives to get our way of being in synch with what we state we believe? I am coming more and more to think that I over use that word believe. I was required to write my creed in a class once. It is a tough assignment wrestling with putting into words the bases of my faith, my trust in God. It could have been very long but as I wrote it got shorter and shorter because I kept folding little bits of belief into all-encompassing ideas. I just kept returning to loving God and loving the way Jesus loved. A laundry list of things I believed about God or Jesus or people or what is sin began to seem somewhat irrelevant. Sometimes our beliefs get in the way of our loving like Jesus. This happens most often with me, because when I form a belief I set the parameter for whom and how I love rather than accepting God’s universal love that has no boundaries.

Prayer: Open my heart to accepting the boundless wonder of your love is meant for everyone.  Forgive me when I insert my own judgment on what is worthy of my love. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.