Living in the Spirit

September 4, 2020

Scripture Reading:
Psalm 119:33-40

Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes,
   and I will observe it to the end.
Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
   and observe it with my whole heart.
Lead me in the path of your commandments,
   for I delight in it.
Turn my heart to your decrees,
   and not to selfish gain.
Turn my eyes from looking at vanities;
   give me life in your ways.
Confirm to your servant your promise,
   which is for those who fear you.
Turn away the disgrace that I dread,
   for your ordinances are good.
See, I have longed for your precepts;
   in your righteousness give me life.

The Psalm above describes our encounters with God, the teacher, who guides us through our spiritual and ethical development, enabling us to discern what is just and righteous and what is not. Our first encounters with God are usually filtered through human teachers. Few people report burning bush or road to Damascus experiences. Parents and any other type of teacher understand that they have an awesome responsibility to train up a child in the right way and when old, they will not stray. (Proverbs 22:6)

We all carry some of the wisdom or folly from our ancestors. We all pass either, or more likely both to the next generations. Thus, continuously evaluating our understandings of what is just and what is right is necessary. We must seek a clearer understanding of cultural norms that drive justice today.

The idea of race as a defining trait of humans did not exist before the 16h century. Yet by 1619, slaves were being imported to and sold in the colonies that became the United States. Race was being used to de-humanize people to sustain a better economic outcome for the colonizers. The practice was adopted as a religious tenet without regard to scripture, which clearly indicated that all people were made in the image of God. The whole scientific finding of race has since been debunked, but we continue to scar our world with its design.

Prayer: God of Justice, Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. 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.