Living in the Spirit
June 25, 2018
Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27
After the death of Saul, when David had returned from defeating the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag.
David intoned this lamentation over Saul and his son Jonathan.
Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely!
In life and in death they were not divided;
they were swifter than eagles,
they were stronger than lions. –2 Samuel 1:1, 17, 23
We live in a divide and conquer world. Israel was in the midst of such a world as Saul and David battled for supremacy in leadership. It ended with the death of Saul and his son Jonathan, David’s best friend fighting an external foe, the Amalekites. That is what happens when great nations battle from without sapping their strength to the extent that when it faces an outside adversary the nation loses. In this instance, David went on to become a great king and Israel eventually knew peace during his rule and the rule of his son Solomon. Israel returned to divide and conquer following Solomon and eventually ended in exile.
There is wisdom in Christ call that we all become one. We will never attain that status until we give up divide and conquer fighting over who is right and who is wrong and thoughtfully work to find the ideas and issues on which we agree. If we place a moratorium on establishing who is right or who is wrong and work on Christ’s priorities of loving God and loving one another, we might surprise ourselves with what we can accomplish. If you read my devotions regularly, you may grow tired of me setting forth this same idea repeatedly. I promise I will stop when I begin to see the light of Christ shining through our feeble attempts at-oneness. For my experience with God is that when a few folks make a genuine attempt at loving all, the Spirit of God joins in the effort, and its impact expands greatly.
Pass It On
It only takes a spark
To get a fire going
And soon all those around
Can warm up in the glowing
That’s how it is with God’s love
Once you’ve experienced it
You’ll spread His love
To everyone
You’ll want to pass it on*
Prayer: God of Mercy and Justice, help me be a spark in your quest for the oneness of your followers. Amen.
*https://st-takla.org/Lyrics-Spiritual-Songs/English-Coptic-Hymns-Texts/7-Christian-n-Gospel-Lyrics-O-P-Q-R/Pass-It-On.html
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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.