A reflection on the Daily Lectionary readings for January 15. Please see the Daily page for tools to help you make daily prayer and scripture part of your rhythm.
(Isaiah 22:15-25, Psalm 40, Galatians 1:6-12)
Our human tendency to chase after false gods is as old as time itself. It’s written about in our origin story of the first humans believing the lie of the snake over God’s loving truth and care. If we had the answer as to why, that would negate our need for God, don’t you think? God made humans with the gift of freewill because God knows that love has to be decided, not forced or coerced or mandated. And God’s greatest desire for the humans God made in love is to have the humans love God too.
The prophet Isaiah tells of God warning the leader of God’s people that he will fall from power and another will be in power. The roles we live in on this earth are temporary, even for good leaders. Yet so many, when given a leadership role (if they didn’t take it by force) behave as if they are no longer human, without accountability or limits. If they ever knew God’s truth, they behave as if they have forgotten and even if they never knew God, they have forgotten what it is to be merely human. We all do this in our own way, even if we don’t inhabit seats of power. We all from time to time behave as if we have no accountability or limits, as if we’ve forgotten we are merely human.
Jesus’ coming didn’t solve this tendency. Paul writes to an early church in Galatia and is astonished that in such a short time they, too, have laid aside the truth of God they knew for something new and shiny. The Good News of God’s love for all is the everlasting truth that we are to let guide all that we think, say, and do. And everyone of us stumbles off the path, seeing a lovely bit of fruit and we believe the lie that puts our desires before God’s Love. Be it who we admire, or how we use our resources, or how we lead others, when we seek approval from any source but God, we have lost our way. But no matter how often we do this, God is always there to welcome us back. Jesus is always there to teach how to be God’s beloved.
To ponder why we make choices to think and behave in ways that are contrary to the Way of Love is necessary to our relationship with God. It is with this pondering that we discern where we need to repent – to turn around, change direction, change our thinking and our behaving – and reorient our way to God’s Way. And it is in the reorientation that we grow more and more into who and Whose we are.
Mother Nancy's Coffee Thoughts 