A reflection on the Daily Lectionary readings for February 10. Please see the Daily page for tools to help you make daily prayer and scripture part of your rhythm.

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(Psalm 119:105-112, 2 Kings 23:1-8, 21-25, 2 Corinthians 4:1-12)
This past Sunday we read a portion of Jesus’ inaugural sermon where he tells us we are salt and light, made to flavor the world with God’s love and shine the light of love in this world. our need to be reminded of this is nothing new. In our reading from the Second Book of Kings today, we jump back in time to the short period between the capture of Israel by Assyria and the exile of the people to Babylon.

The people of Isreal had forgotten they are salt and light. King Manasseh had brought corruption to the temple, filling it with idols of false gods and even child sacrifices. His son was even more corrupt and only reigned two years before being killed. But the corrupt king’s son Josiah was different. He sought to reform the ways of Isreal, to clean up and repair the temple. While restoring the temple, the high priest found the book of the law and brought it to King Josiah. The King was convicted by the words and this brings us to the point of the story we read today (a little context is helpful, I think). Josiah was reminded who and Whose the people of Isreal are and restored the passover feast, renewing the covenant with God.

Despite God being their King, the Israelites had longed to look like the people groups around them. Having God as their King wasn’t good enough for them. They wanted to measure success, power, and prestige as the world measured it, not as God does. And they ended up with more corrupt kings that descent ones. They chose their own way and God let them face the consequences and even though King Josiah knew they would still have to face the consequences of their choices he brought the people back into covenant with God. God is always waiting for us to return and always welcomes us and will walk with us even as we must face the consequences of our own choices.

Success and power look different in God’s Kingdom. In the letter to the church in Corinth, Paul makes this same point and he talks of those who have let the world blind them from the light of God. Paul says we are a treasure in clay jars. Clay jars don’t look like much but because we all have the image of God in us we are invaluable. All people are invaluable. And we have this extraordinary gift of God’s love to share with the world, a love more powerful than anything of this world.

We have to keep our hearts and minds oriented toward God so that we can navigate this world as God has taught us. We have to ask ourselves how have we forgotten we are salt and light? How have we been blinded by the world and how do we strive to be like the world rather than to be formed as God’s Beloved.

Remember that you are God’s Beloved today. Remember that everyone you encounter today is God’s Beloved.

Keep lovin’ louder than the hate, Y’all.