Together as One

negativityEpiphany
January 5, 2016

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 43:1-7

Do not fear, for I am with you;
   I will bring your offspring from the east,
   and from the west I will gather you;
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up’,
   and to the south, ‘Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
   and my daughters from the end of the earth—
everyone who is called by my name,
   whom I created for my glory,
   whom I formed and made.’—Isaiah 43:5-7

Most read Isaiah as promising the regeneration of the nation of Israel. I cannot help but recall the book of Genesis when I read this scripture where Isaiah speaks of everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. God apparently glories in diversity for God surely created it. Why do you suppose it is so hard for us to glory in diversity?

Created as totally unique individuals, it does not take us long to cluster into like kinds: males on one side females on the other; red and yellow, black and white; athletes, scholars; working class, wealthy; conservatives, liberals. Apparently the world is easier to understand when we cluster and then create hierarchies of those clusters although it actually gets more complicated, when individuals from various clusters mix together.

One of the traits that Jesus modeled for all to follow was recognizing the uniqueness in each person with whom his path crossed. O, he knew about clusters. Had apparently learned about some. The syrophoenician woman was originally not on his radar. Lepers may not have been either, at first. He had this amazing skill to look past his predilections and see the image of God in each person. This is a skill we each need to hone, if we long for oneness and justice in our world.

Prayer: God, show us the treasure you planted in each human being and let us treat it as the gift of your grace that it is. 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.