Living in the Spirit
September 29, 2021
Scripture Reading: Psalm 8
O Lord, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals that you care for them?
Yet you have made them a little lower than God
and crowned them with glory and honor.
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under their feet,
all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
What are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? God loves each of us and all of us. God’s Love is so powerful that it comes to us uniquely and gains synergy, greater power, in communion with one another. We live in a time when we need to harness that power for the good, leaving no room for what divides and conquers. I was reminded of a song included on Barbra Streisand’s Album Higher Ground. The song is entitled At the Same Time*. It talks about diversity, change, and hope for the future.
The USA has become a great empire. Most historic great empires have failed, primarily rotting from within. Our challenge is to be the first that overcomes the forces that divide us and work toward a world where all have enough, acting together for the betterment of everyone. That can be done in as many ways as there are nations and cultures within our world. We do not contribute to success when we capture ideas and ideals and use them as ammunition to kill the very heart of positive progress. Socialism is not a bullet; capitalism is not a knife. They are no longer economic ideas; they have been hijacked by those caught in greed and lust for power as ammunition, distracting us as their means to divide and conquer.
God knows us better than we know ourselves. God knows we can live into the vision of creation. Jesus knew the way when he called us to be one in his prayer** before his crucifixion. Let it be so.
Prayer: Lord, make us whole, make us one with justice for all. Amen.
*The lyrics can be seen at https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/barbrastreisand/atthesametime.html
**See John 17
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.