Epiphany
Celebration of God
Manifested in the World
January 23, 2015

 Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31

I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

 While I was writing my book Houses Divided, I was struck by the possibility that the full realization of the coming of the Kingdom of God may be awaiting our capacity for loving God and loving each other to the extent we would be able to experience God “dwelling”* among us all the time. The irony of such an idea is that while we are waiting for God to fix the world we now live in, God has already saved us. God has given us the gift of God’s love in human form. Our task is to love like Jesus loves God and his neighbors, and in so doing transform the world. He also challenged us to make everyone in the world our neighbor. Paul puts it precisely: For the present form of this world is passing away. We humans just keep reaching back and trying to drag some of that former world with us.

We seem to be caught up in our human need to compete. Even to compete for God’s salvation. Now, I like a good basketball game as much as anyone, football too, but I do not move up on God’s rating chart by trying to be more righteous or more zealous or more anything than any of God’s other children or by assigning greater judgment magnitude to what I deem to be the sins of others while being blind to my own. God does not have a comparative rating chart. God’s judgment, as I understand it, is not based on who of us has the corner on “right” beliefs or are more self-righteous.  God’s judgment is based on how we have loved. Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? (Matthew 25:37+)

Prayer: Lord open my heart to the infusion of your love. Wash away all the barriers I raise to loving as you love. Free me from my need to judge myself by any standard other than the one you have established for me and free me from my need to judge others. Amen.

*See John 1:14 and Revelation 21:3

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.