Living in the Spirit
September 22, 2020
Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32
The word of the Lord came to me: What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? As I live, says the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die. —Ezekiel 18:1-4
When I served as a Child Welfare supervisor in a county office, we received a referral from a doctor reporting that he had treated a 13-year-old girl for sexual abuse involving a relative, and she remained in the home with the reported perpetrator. We prepared a report for the judge requesting an order to remove her from the home while evaluating the situation. The judge scanned the information, saw the family name, and said, “I have known this family for years, knew the dad’s grandfather. They have never been any good and never will be. What difference do you think you can make in this girl’s life?” I responded, “We would sure like to try.” He signed the order but assured me it was a waste of time. I would love to give you a happy ending story, but I left that office for another assignment in a different location, and I do not know how it turned out. I could tell you stories about other children who were served both in their homes and in foster care who are successful adults. I also can tell you about one young man with a lot of potentials that I worked with who graduated to prison shortly after turning 18. He proved his leadership skills by being one of the masterminds of a prison riot that went on for days. I mourn the loss to our society of his talents and skills to this day. If you are interested in delving deeper into this issue, I encourage you to read The Boy Who Carried Bricks: A True Story of Survival by Alton Carter.
We are all impacted by our families, hopefully mostly for good. At some point, we must take responsibility for ourselves and our own futures. Just as we must develop our own individual relationship with God. Our practice of religion is an outward expression of our faith. It is not our faith. I am renewed and strengthened each time I attend worship, participate in a study group, and enjoy fellowship with other Christians. Those activities are empty if they are not ungirded by our love for God and our commitment to being a part of the Body of Christ doing the work of spreading the Good News of God’s love to everyone. Paul says it best in I Corinthians 13,
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Prayer: Lord, we love you and praise you for the gift of your love and your grace that makes us whole. 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.