09-15-20

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
September 15, 2020
Scripture: James 3:9-10
With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.

Thought for the Day: Humanity, including those who follow Jesus, have yet to fully understand that to curse, demean, degrade or injure another human being is to dishonor the very image of God. There is no exception to the rule. Period! Last time I suggested something similar in one of my devotionals, I got hate mail. I wish I had the old AOL, except it would say, “You’ve got hate mail.” That way I would know to skip those emails. Sorry, I digress. The point I’m trying to make is how unbelievably challenging these words are. This is Jesus Loves The Little Children, but on steroids. And just putting all my cards on the table, I don’t find this easy just because I’m clergy. We did not take an upper level class on Loving ALL God’s children. It was kind of assumed, while also spending plenty of time confessing our failures. And let’s be clear, loving people as Jesus did is not to sanction or celebrate their mean-spirited behavior. It doesn’t mean you’ve got to go out for drinks with someone who causes your blood pressure to rise or has injured you. Love is on its own level, and though 99% of us will remain a work in progress, we cannot allow the difficult to become our excuse to jettison love for the purpose of making room for hate.

Prayer: Once again, O Lord, I start the day seeking your help. You’ve not made this easy, but I will try my best in the belief that your Spirit will assist me. I will try better than my best in the belief that you will love me even when I fail. Amen.

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