Living in the Spirit

October 20, 2020

Scripture Reading:

Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

You shall not render an unjust judgement; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the Lord.

You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

We quote the phrase love your neighbor as yourself easily and regularly. We fail to remember the admonitions that are summarized in this commandment. I am writing this amid the political ads that are bombarding us leading up to the 2020 election. They are no different than the ones we have heard in the past. Many are designed to divide and conquer.

God calls us to live on a level plain, where all are judged the same, where hate has no place in our hearts. Having worked for years with and for the poor, I was interested in the phrase shall not be partial to the poor. When the poor are poor because they are working hard but not paid a living wage, it is not partial to correct that situation. It is doing justice. The poor do need to take responsibility for themselves in every way they can. Our helping them become the people God created them to be is also doing justice.

Isaiah describes it well,

Every valley shall be lifted up
   and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
   and the rough places a plain. — Isaiah 40:4

Prayer: Lord, help us see your image in each person we encounter and make that our starting place in our interactions with them. 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.