Tag Archives: Privileged

Righteousness and Love

Advent

December 2, 2020

Scripture Reading:
Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13

Lord, you were favorable to your land;
   you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people;
   you pardoned all their sin.
          Selah
Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
   for he will speak peace to his people,
   to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
   that his glory may dwell in our land.

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
   righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
   and righteousness will look down from the sky.
The Lord will give what is good,
   and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before him,
   and will make a path for his steps.

Why is it so hard to do what is right? Why do we define what is right only as it applies to what is advantageous to self? I love that phrase righteousness and peace will kiss each other. God’s righteousness is the cornerstone of our way of being. God’s righteousness entails steadfast love and faithfulness. God’s righteousness demands that our righteousness considers the wellbeing of others.

We have learned a lot about ourselves amid responding to the COVID pandemic. We do consider ourselves to be privileged people. As a result, we ended up having the worst outcomes of the pandemic than any other industrialized nation in the world. I shall never forget almost 40 years ago when my boss, whom I highly respected, was diagnosed with HIV. It was the early years of that epidemic, and such a diagnosis was often a death sentence. Indeed, it was for him. As we prepared for his return to work and were concerned about staff responses, we held staff meetings where medical professionals explained how the disease was spread and that we were not in danger. I spoke to every one of my staff afterward. To a person except for one, the response was the same. They all were only concerned about the one who was sick, and many mentioned praying for him. The one exception informed me that the medical staff did not know what they were saying. That HIV could be carried through the air. I asked her how I could help her feel more comfortable about his returning if she feared she would catch the disease. And she responded that she was the apple of God’s eye. God was protecting her from HIV. It was the rest of us that needed to worry. I said OK, and she left my office. That conversation left a lasting impression on me. All God’s children are the apple of his eye, and our faithfulness to God is drawn from his unconditional love, which we are called to emulate.

Prayer: God, forgive us when we drift away from your love to the extent that we do not love one another as you would have us to love. 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.

Being Chosen Being Privileged

Eastertide

May 8, 2020

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 2:2-10

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Once you were not a people,
   but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
   but now you have received mercy.—1 Peter 2:9-10

What does it mean to be chosen?

Typically, 1588 /eklektós (“select, chosen”) describes people who choose to follow the Lord, i.e. become God’s choice by freely receiving faith (4102 /pístis) from Him. Accordingly, these two terms are directly connected (see Tit 1:1; Lk 18:7,8).*

When we make the choice to follow the Lord, we freely receive God’s grace. Grace is a gift not payment in return for anything we have done.  It is in Biblical terms a privilege available to all who chose to accept it.

Privilege: a right or immunity granted as a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor :  special enjoyment of a good or exemption from an evil or burden**

While grace is mentioned 126 times in the New Testament the word privilege is only used twice:

begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints—2 Corinthians 8.4

For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well— Philippians 1.29

The words chosen and privilege have become muddled in our world resulting in the perception that they express an hierarchy of worth rather than a calling to serve. All are worthy in the sight of God who created all and implanted God’s image in each of us. As we struggle to adapt to the new normal of a pandemic, we need to revisit these terms and understand the responsibility they involve. Wearing a mask and social distancing are not a breaches of our freedom. They are ways to protect our neighbors and outward signs that we love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for your give us grace sustain us as we answer your call to serve. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/1588.htm
**https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/privilege

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.