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But let justice roll down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
— Amos 5:24
“What finally counts is not whether we know Jesus and his words but whether we live our lives in the Spirit of Jesus. The Spirit of Jesus is the Spirit of Love. Jesus himself makes this clear when he speaks about the last judgment. There people will ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?” and Jesus will answer, “In so far as you did this to one of the least…of mine, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:37-40).
— Henri Nouwen
Bread for the Journey
This is our great challenge and consolation. Jesus comes to us in the poor, the sick, the dying, the prisoners, the lonely, the disabled, and the rejected. There we meet him, and there the door to God’s house is opened for us.
We are continuing for the next few weeks with a series that focuses on the Biblical issues of justice and righteousness. It feels very timely that we should be engaged in this conversation as we celebrate Pentecost this Sunday. In the accounts of that day and the days following, we are introduced to a new way of thinking about community. Luke, in the book of Acts, paints a picture for us that reveals a transformation so deep, and so radical, that it upends the norms of society and invites the reader to hope that the kingdom of God is indeed near.
The stories of the early church also depict the reality that sets in as people are confronted with how they will live out the kingdom life. Sometimes sharing life together is petty with self-promotion and self-centered ambition getting in the way of moving together towards justice for all. Sometimes the sheer beauty of those who care and share their lives and their resources is enough to make us all believe once again. In last week’s sermon, Jack listed several reasons that get in our way of doing what God has told us we must do. Among them were fear, apathy, laziness and so on. This is a good insight to help us navigate our way into a fuller, more God-aligned life, but I think at the bottom of it all there lies a hinge and that is simply choice.
I think we make choices every day that have both an immediate and eternal impact on the world. We can choose to follow Jesus, wherever that leads, or we can choose to follow at our convenience. We can choose to help or choose not to. We can choose to speak out or we can choose silence. We can choose to be right or choose to be forgiving. I think we all in our deepest hearts, know what is required of us for our best life. I don’t think it is a secret or a mystery that God has high expectations of the beloved community and that we are tasked with bringing a new word into the darkest places. So, now we know, what will you choose?
Join us this Sunday for a morning of prayer and preaching, and at 10:30 we welcome a special musical presentation by The Greeley Children’s Chorale from Greeley Colorado.
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