Epiphany
February 3, 2016
Scripture Reading: Psalm 99
Mighty King, lover of justice,
you have established equity;
you have executed justice
and righteousness in Jacob.
Extol the Lord our God;
worship at his footstool.
Holy is he! –Psalm 99:4-5
I am sure anyone who reads these devotions everyday gets tired of revisiting the same issues over and over. I, frankly, get tired of writing them. When will we ever recognize that justice for all is good for all.
The Psalmist in our scripture today identifies God as a lover of justice. God’s Son certainly demonstrated that love in his way of being as well as his teaching. He had a special place in his heart for the disabled, particularly the mentally ill. Recently I sat and listened to the personal testimonies of people living on the streets who attend a worship service designed for them. They were instructed to tell a story of hope realized, where they could see progress in their own lives. These testimonies serve as a catalyst for the testifiers’ fellow street people not to give up.
I could not help thinking that it is those of us who have jobs with incomes, homes to live in, food on the table, central heat, and warm clothing who need to hear these testimonies. For it is we who allow systems of injustice to continue. It is we who do not assure the availability of mental health services, not even for the soldiers who thought they were fighting for all of us.
In the final analysis it is true that individuals must change their behavior if they want to survive and succeed. It is also true that not a single one of us has gotten to where we are today without help. The love of God is where it starts but our reflecting that love in our societies’ systems matters. Other nations take care of their most vulnerable people, why don’t we?
Prayer: Lord, we ask a special blessing on the vulnerable people in our world who need our love and attention. Open our hearts and our minds to ways of protecting them while maintaining their dignity as your children. 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.