Ordinary Time
February 8, 2022
Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 17:5-10
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit. –Jeremiah 17:7-8
In the 1950s there was a game show on TV. Who do you trust? It required a couple to decide which one would answer the next question, the man or the woman, based on the question’s subject. Indeed, we each must make the decision whether we trust in the Lord, but we also gain trust in the Lord by sharing our personal experiences with others.
I love my Sunday School class for that reason, it includes business owners, schoolteachers, government workers, lawyers, engineers, nurses, each with a slightly different take on life. As I wrote this, I was reminded that that group of people are mostly well-educated middle class or above people. Reminding me I also value highly my experience in high school and college working as a waitress and nurses’ aide. Working with women in minimum wage jobs who were the sole support of their families was eye-opening. Some were young mother’s others were older women who were working outside the home for the first time in their lives because their spouse had died or become disabled. It certainly is not the same as living in their shoes but at least I knew they existed. When I worked in those jobs the minimum wage was about the same as the poverty level. Today the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour and $2.13 an hour for persons receiving tips. The poverty wage for 1 person in Oklahoma is $6.13 and a living wage is $13.53. In all families with more than one person, the minimum wage is below the federal poverty level*.
During Jesus’s ministry, he went out of his way to open his disciples’ eyes to the needs of all people. Rich or poor and called us to love them all. I am sure you can trust that remains his goal for all his disciples today in a world where trust is in short supply.
Prayer: Lord, renew and restore our trust in following your example as we work to renew and restore the love we need for one another and all others. Amen.
*https://livingwage.mit.edu/states/40
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.