Living in the Spirit

July 22, 2023

Scripture Reading: Romans 8:12-25

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. –Romans 8:18-25

Weird weather is not the only bad omen we are experiencing as the suffering of this present time. I found it unbelievable that the Oklahoma Legislature passed a law this spring that outlaws investment companies from doing business in Oklahoma that refuse to do business with oil and gas companies because those investment companies are dedicated to addressing climate change. We refuse to realize that the way we have always done things is not the way of the future, and we cannot accept it.

I sense, however, that we are at a prime moment where we can move closer to the beloved community as we are forced to face the challenges of our time. Besides climate change, poverty is the fourth leading cause of death in the USA. The National Assessment of Educational Progress reports that in 2022 45% of Oklahoma children did not attain even a basic reading level. Other statistics about Oklahoma are just as grim. It is time that we face our problems and find ways to fix them rather than bury our heads in the sand.

Prayer: Lord, open our eyes to the actions we can take now to help alleviate the problems in our state. 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.