Living in the Spirit
September 1, 2016
Scripture Reading: Philemon 1-21
When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith towards the Lord Jesus. I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.
For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. –Philemon 4-8
What is a bigot? Who can judge when someone is a bigot? What is the politically correct way to call a bigot, a bigot? Merriam-Webster defines a bigot as a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices*. God is the only one capable of knowing the heart of any human or judging human beliefs or actions. In the final analysis, we are all most likely bigots at one time or another. In many instances, our bigotry hides behind cultural norms that define class and other categories of diversity such as race, gender, ethnicity, and religion. As with Philemon, our actions may be norms masking themselves as justice. Such was the case of slavery in the first century CE. In the letter to Philemon, Paul takes on the challenging task of helping a friend, a good man, see himself through the eyes of God’s justice, not cultural norms. While God transforms our way of being and thinking, we must deal with the outward expression of our misunderstanding of who we are by doing justice that seems to go against everything we may have believed.
From Where did those cultural norms come? Some may have grown out of necessity. Nursing women need to stay close to their offspring, leaving men free to search for food. More grew out of greed. Overthrowing strangers produced land, water, other resources and additional labor. We tend to hold on to cultural norms that result in our feeling good about ourselves.
Jesus taught a different way, one identifying all humans as God’s offspring. Envisioning a world where all can feel good about themselves where peace results from justice.
Prayer: Lord, our world is overcome with greed. It is a habit hard to break. Impossible without your love infusing us with the will to see our lives as they really are, turn around, and do justice. Amen.
*http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/bigot
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.