Living in the Spirit

June 2, 2021

Scripture Reading: Psalm 130
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
   Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
   to the voice of my supplications!

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
   Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you,
   so that you may be revered.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
   and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
   more than those who watch for the morning,
   more than those who watch for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the Lord!
   For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
   and with him is great power to redeem.
It is he who will redeem Israel
   from all its iniquities.

A morning news show considered whether the period after COVID would be like the time after the Spanish flu, which faded in the early 1920s and led to the roaring 20s and eventually the Stock Market Crash of 1929. Praise, thanksgiving, and celebration are appropriate as the pandemic wanes with prayers that it disappears entirely. We might want to assess the wisdom of the roaring 20s, learn from the good that came from it and avoid the bad.  That is a good lesson for our times. It is a lesson Israel did not recognize. As we read through the history of God’s people, we see a roller coaster ride of high highs accompanied by exile.

The Psalmist invites us to wait on the Lord with hope. What does the Lord desire of us? The measure of our success as the people of God is our ability to love like the Lord, whose love is steadfast and forever. Throughout the pandemic, we have seen the pitfalls in our social structure. We have learned that every human is essential, and actualizing the potential of all people is necessary for our wellbeing. Will that knowledge impact the way we do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our Lord*? Or will it encourage us to eat, drink, and be merry** until the next crisis strikes?

Prayer: We wait for your guidance as we emerge out of a pandemic that has changed our lives. Grant us the wisdom to learn from our mistakes. Amen.

*From Micah 6:8
**See Isaiah 22:13; Proverbs 23:35; Luke 12:19; 1 Corinthians 15:32

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.