Tag Archives: Steady State

Shalom

Living in the Spirit
September 26, 2017

Scripture Reading Exodus 17:1-7

So Moses cried out to the Lord, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.’ The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.’ Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ –Exodus 17:4-7

Systems theory talks about the need for systems to move toward a steady state, a place, figuratively speaking, where people know what to expect. Poverty is an entrenched steady state because those caught in it are well acquainted with its challenges even if the results are not good for them or their futures. Moving from a bad steady state to a good steady state whether it be poverty or leaving slavery in Egypt can be daunting. The Israelites knew where to find water in Egypt. They knew the right words to say to their masters to avoid punishment. They knew the boundaries of their steady state.

Chaos and confusion results when moving from one steady state to another. New leaders must arise. A whole new culture must develop. The Israelites wandered in that wilderness for 40 years before they got their act together and crossed into what we call the promise land. One or two generations of people passed away as they struggled to find a new way of living.

God and God’s servant’s Moses was their only steady state, and God never left them even when they quarreled and tested God. This story was retained through history to assure us of the same support and nurture.

Progress toward the Kingdom of God demands a constant movement from our current steady state to a better one defined by God. Adapting to God’s ways shortens our time in the wilderness. Helping others know the love of God and its power to make all whole unites us and makes our work more productive.

Prayer: Lord, we live in a world caught in power struggles and divisiveness. Show us how to sidestep these diversions and make lasting progress toward a steady state of your well-being and peace, Shalom. 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.

Creating  a Steady State of Love

Epiphany
February 25, 2017

Scripture Reading: Matthew 17:1-9

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ –Matthew 17:1-4

In systems theory, homeostasis is the internal drive in individuals and groups to recover from chaos returning life to a steady state. Homeostasis is neither good nor bad; it may be either. The civil rights movement of the 1960’s challenged the steady state of racism and discrimination in the USA attempting to move to a new steady state that was inclusive of all God’s children. Consistently loving one’s neighbors is an example of a positive state of homeostasis.

Consistent chaos can become a very destructive steady state. The Middle East has experienced consistent chaos for so long they know no other reality. Groups like ISIS form in response to consistent chaos.

Jesus came to move the world to a new homeostasis centered in love and justice diametrically opposed to the dominate homeostasis of the day fostered by the Roman Empire, characterized by greed and peace through power usually enforced by violence or the threat of violence. Sound familiar?

Peter’s desire to build dwellings to honor Moses, Elijah, and Jesus was an attempt to box in and keep what he had experienced through his relationship with Jesus. Jesus’ ministry was and is about making God’s ways the steady state for all people which cannot be housed in human structures but can only be realized through making love the steady state in the hearts of all.

Prayer: God of Mercy and Justice, create in us clean hearts and fill them so full of your love that they overflow to enrich the lives of all. 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.