Scripture:‘You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. But you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked’.’ (Revelation 4.17-18)Reflection:When things are reaching a crunch point in our lives, it is often prudent to ‘say it as it is’ - not to sugar coat our words. The above verse comes in the last book of the Bible - some would say the Book of Revelation is a foretaste of what lies ahead of us. This verse says it as it is - a warning to people who are ‘comfortable’. The problem with being ‘comfortable’ is that we live on the ‘surface’, seeing no need to plumb the depths and ask the big questions of life. We are in danger of missing the bigger picture. Often it is only at ‘crunch points’ that we look deeper and try to figure things out. There is a common quote in faith circles that says ‘It is only when God is all we have left, that we realise that God is all we need’. Don’t wait until life becomes uncomfortable to seek God - see the bigger picture. Read on in the chapter above and you will find this verse. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person and they with me.’ God desires to be in every moment of everyday with us, not someone we turn to at the crunch points, and turn away from when we are comfortable. Vicki Young
Scripture:“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6.8)Reflection:Justice? In a world where so much seems unfair, where people do terrible things? We all seem to be born with an inbuilt moral sense of what is fair, of the way in which others ought to behave towards us. How should we deal with those who break the code? Low-level infringements may be cleared up with apologies and simple reparations, but at the other extreme some offences seem unforgiveable. The prophet Micah gets to the heart of the message of the Bible, and Jesus dramatically lived it out – kindness, mercy, love go hand-in-hand with justice. Justice may require punishment, but we will fail ourselves, our principles and our God if we cannot combine that with compassion. David Harmsworth
Scripture:10 Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, ‘Listen and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.’ - - - 15 But Peter said to him, ‘Explain this parable to us.’ 16 Then he said, ‘Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. 19 For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.’Reflection:Are you a vegetarian? A vegan? A committed meat eater? In Jesus’ time, where he lived, to eat the wrong food, and perhaps without the right type of hand washing beforehand, decidedly put you in the ‘bad corner’. You were regarded as unclean. In our own time, this might be like having the ‘wrong’ opinion, expressing an unpopular sentiment or just being plain old fashioned. This could bring you into conflict with others. But, just like in Jesus’ time, it is not virtue-signalling, as in behaving correctly in the eyes of others, that is important for God. God looks at what is in the heart.What is your motivation, what drives you? What is your intention? Are you perhaps indulging in consumption or behaviours that could harm others? Even if it’s not exactly murder, it could still be hurting those around you, or the planet we all share. To become aware of the consequences of our words and actions is a first step to hearing God’s will for our lives, a life in harmony with God and others. Revd Ylva
