Living in the Spirit
July 9, 2018
Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19
David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. David and all the people with him set out and went from Baalejudah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned on the cherubim. They carried the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart with the ark of God; and Ahio went in front of the ark. David and all the house of Israel were dancing before the Lord with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. –2 Samuel 6:1-5
Moving the Ark of God to Jerusalem solidified David’s rule over the whole of Israel which called for a grand celebration. Oneness bought at the price of war and the power of a charismatic leader stood the test of time throughout David’s reign and the reign of his son Solomon. If peace and prosperity prevail along with just treatment there is rarely any dissent. Discord arises when prosperity becomes markedly disproportionate and injustice seeps in to protect that status quo. We in the USA find ourselves on the cusp of that situation as we move through the mechanics of celebrating the grand experiment upon which our government was founded with the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
I guess the question we now face is can this course be corrected and if so how? Many people in positions of power seem blind to the existence of the problem. In the class that is getting richer or the group on the next step down the ladder of wealth with eyes set to climb up, there is little interest in addressing the disproportionate nature of our economy. Indeed, some work to disparage those in poverty saying they are responsible for their own situations. As more and more people find themselves homeless while working full time the reality of inequity begins to burn at the heart of their lives. This is one of those times when the true test of the efficacy of our system of governance which alleges to be of the people, by the people, and for the people will be measured. For democracy to prevail, we the people must assert ourselves as the backbone of this country and prove that democracy remains a viable form of governance.
There were some signs of life among the people as more voters turned out in Oklahoma’s recent primary than voted in the 2014 general election and the 2016 primary election. The vote of the people is the only thing that can override the power of the pocketbooks that carry much sway among our elected officials often to the detriment of the voters. The challenge is ferreting out the wheat from the chaff among the candidates. Jesus described this well in Matthew 10:16, ‘See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
Prayer: Lord, give us the wisdom to discern quality leaders and the courage to support them. Amen.