Living in the Spirit
November 8, 2016
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 65:17-28
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
the lion shall eat straw like the ox;
but the serpent—its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain,
says the Lord. —Isaiah 65:25
I get social media posts routinely with videos of unlikely pairings of wild animals or wild animals and domesticated animals. I do not recall yet seeing a wolf and a lamb. In most instances, these animals were raised together and learned to love each other in an environment where their survival did not depend on one eating the other. How do we create a world like that?
Jesus speaks to justice being the core of the Kingdom of God. Our scripture today describes a world ruled by God’s justice. What is right for one is right for each and is right for all. When Jesus talks about adults becoming like little children, he may be referencing the ability of children’s natural practices of justice. As any parent can tell you, children’s concepts of justice are not always pretty, but they are innocent of prejudgments. As children grew and experience life lessons, they store filters, some good some bad, that provide shortcuts for decision making. To live in a world where the wolf and the lamb feed together, we must constantly work to keep our filters clear of clutter that incorrectly shapes our decision-making processes.
Prayer:
God of grace and God of glory,
on your people pour your power;
crown your ancient church’s story,
bring its bud to glorious flower.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
for the facing of this hour,
for the facing of this hour*. Amen.
First verse of Hymn God of Grace words by Harry E. Fosdick, see at http://www.hymnary.org/text/god_of_grace_and_god_of_glory
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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.