Living in the Spirit

Scripture Reading:
Ezekiel 33:7-11

So you, mortal, I have made a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked ones, you shall surely die’, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from their ways, and they do not turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but you will have saved your life. –Ezekiel 33:7-9

I wrote my book Houses Divided: A Letter to the Churches of the USA on Church and State, published in 2013, because I had too. While my illustrations are out-of-date, I think the truth in it still applies. I did not realize I was addressing the same type of divisions among God’s followers that Ezekiel and other prophets did. Evil had severed God-followers. I do not know if the book is worth anything or not because few were read. I did not send it to what is called “evangelical” publishers because I knew they would not publish anything that included some of my ideas. I got nearly the same rejection from all the “progressive” publishers. Each basically said, “We do not publish in this genre.”  I guessed that meant it was a too sticky wicket for them. So, I published it myself.  I wrote it for everyday people in pews, not academics. I do not think my time was wasted as it helped me get my personal theology in order. I am sorry it did not fill that purpose for others.

So, today I read Ezekiel, where he says that the wicked will have to deal with their wickedness when they die, but if we do not warn them to turn from their ways, their blood will also be on our hands. The problem, of course, is that although our systems of belief are markedly different, both sides just know they are right. Evil is good at creating just such a scenario. It is being played out daily in media reports regarding our world today and the upcoming election.

There is no easy answer. Repenting and acknowledging we ever do anything wrong is hard and embarrassing and counter to our culture. Here are a few things I think are worth trying:

• Remind ourselves when we are confronted by someone with different viewpoints that they were created by God and made in the image of God just like each of us was.
• Practice empathy in our heads while listening, really listening to what another is saying. What is it like to see this world in their skin, gender, income bracket, education, social status?
• Seek any common ground.
• And, most importantly, listen for God’s guidance.

Prayer:
Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
Forgive our foolish ways!
Reclothe us in our rightful mind,
In purer lives Thy service find,
In deeper reverence, praise*. Amen.

First verse of Dear Lord and Father of mankind by John Greenleaf Whittier https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_Lord_and_Father_of_Mankind

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.