Living in the Spirit
October 13, 2015

Scripture Reading: Joel 2:21-27

You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
   and praise the name of the Lord your God,
   who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame.
You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
   and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other.
And my people shall never again
   be put to shame. –Joel 2:26-27

Is there shame in drought? Perhaps there is if it results from something of which we had control but surely not if it was not in our control. People have associated weather disasters to sin, however, for eons. I am sure that was true in the time of Joel. Jesus may have been one of the first to challenge this proposition when he said it rains on the just and the unjust. (Matthew 5:45) What purpose does shame serve?

Shame in some ways is an antitheses of justice. I have heard the definition of shame as guilt turned inward. This is based on an assumption that if bad is happening to you there must be something wrong with you. If we spend much time talking to someone who has been sexually molested, we often see this reaction. However, shame is associated with many behaviors and outcomes. Such shame results from societal messages that define states of being as bad to justify unequal treatments and policies. Think about shame associated with poverty.

Shame is not an acceptable reality within the parameters of the love of God and nothing else matters. When we have sinned, done something that separates us from God, God expects us to turn around from such behavior and be reconciled to God by asking for forgiveness. We are then expected to go about the business of living in God’s grace and fulfilling our call to serve. Neither can be accomplished if we are hindered by shame.

Prayer: Lord heal the wounds that remain with us that are resulting in shame and show us the ways we can end injustice that operates on the fuel of shame. 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.