Living in the Spirit
November 1, 2016

Scripture Reading: Haggai 2:1-9

For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts. –Haggai 2:6-9

What is a nation’s most valuable resource? While some countries are known for providing an abundant source of various assets, they possess nothing of greater worth than their people. Our cultures make diamonds priceless at the expense of children small enough to garner them from narrow holes in the ground, and ivory worth the lives of elephants. The symbols of value often referenced in the Bible are gold and silver. The populace of the nations is the great treasure coming home to the temple in our scripture today returning the gifts of God’s supplied silver and gold. We sometimes flip these values upside-down. People are useful only when they can produce wealth for some. For some, people have no other value.

Haggai proclaims that God in God’s own time and way makes course corrections for those of us who lose sight of the sacred nature of the Earth or the sacred nature of all people made in God’s image. I do not know whether God pours wrath on people because they destroy that which sustains them or whether our destruction results from failure to understand God’s order. Perhaps it is a little of both.

Justice is under serious review along the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline. The Native Americans and their supporters fear the oil and gas transfer system might negatively impact their water supply and will desecrate holy ground. The builders of the pipeline promise a ready supply of oil and gas to people living east of the oil supply. I must tell you I wondered when I saw the pictures of a large herd of buffalo flood over the plains toward the pipeline building site, if God were their herder.

Prayer: Lord, help us become good stewards of each other and your earth. 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.