Living in the Spirit
October 6, 2016

Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 2:8-15

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. –2 Timothy 2:8-10

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . .. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1, 14)

In our digital world during an election year, we parse words to leech out truth while the writers or speakers shun absolutes directing their positions toward saying what they think we want to hear. If it were not so important, it might be a fun game. The proof, of course, is in the resulting actions that occur too late to change course. It is ironic that a whole system of fact checking has developed where lying is ranked by flagrancy.

We followers of Christ have been parsing Biblical words going all the way back to its compilation. Multiple sects of Christianity resulted grouped around words and their significance to the group’s members. Honestly, portraying the acts of an infinite and sovereign being lends itself to a diversity of descriptors particularly in relation to God who is unique to each of us and common to all.

How do we attain oneness in diversity? How does our love of God through Jesus Christ, the Word, direct and define our oneness? How do we answer the call of the Word to include all in our oneness while celebrating our diversity? How do we love as Jesus loves?

Prayer: God of Mercy, flood us with your love to enable our loving each other just as each of us is. Help us grow together in becoming the individuals you created us to be working together toward making your vision of wholeness our reality. 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.