Living in the Spirit
June 12, 2020
Scripture Reading: Romans 5:1-8
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.
We are who we are because of the confluence of our DNA, our culture, and our life experiences. I see the world through the eyes of a sickly little kid raised by a mother who I describe as the world’s first egalitarian and a father who soothed his soul with music. I grew up on a farm. The art of working began with my first steps. Food as a source of life involved the death of animals and sometimes backbreaking labor generally accomplished in a spirit of fun and comradery. Loving God and following the example of Jesus Christ was built into my being in the womb. Jesus was my friend as a child. While my concept of Christ has grown over time, he still fulfills the role of a friend for me to this day.
Coming from a small rural community, I interacted routinely with rich and poor, young and old. My grandfather’s first wife was part Native American, and I was raised with nine aunts and uncles who were part Native American. My first encounter with a black person was at the age of six when my mother was taking a college course over the summer. I attended class with her one day. The woman who sat next to her was black. Mom introduced her to me as she would have introduced me to anyone. Driving home, I asked my mom way the lady was so dark. My mom answered by saying, that is the color God made her. I was in college before I met a person from Asia.
My character was re-shaped when at the age of 23, I became a child welfare worker and saw the world through a lens that broadened my perspective, putting me on the path to justice advocacy that I still walk today.
The thing I must remember, we all must remember is that all people do not perceive the world the same way we do. Communicating is challenged when I see what is happening around me, totally different than others do. Listening and really hearing what someone else is saying requires us not just to take in words but to also consider the confluence of life that created the speaker’s worldview.
Prayer: God of Hope, meld dour life experiences together so that we might all benefit from the experiences of others so that we might grow together with endurance and character striving for hope. 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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.