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Good morning, Saints, and blessings on your weekend.
Last week, I was thinking about the many times I’ve had the opportunity to spend time on a river, either canoeing or river rafting, growing up. I spent some time in Missouri, and we often went canoeing (and fishing) on the Current River in Montauk State Park. It is located in the southern part of the state and flows south into Arkansas. I have also rafted rivers in California (namely the Kern River) and several rivers in Colorado, like the North Platte River, Colorado River, and the Gunnison.
In a discussion with my wife, Lisa, last week, I mentioned how much life seems like a ride on a river. Whether you’re in a canoe or a river raft, there are always dangers and challenges that present themselves. I remember that in Missouri, canoeing came with the warning of watching out for snakes in low-hanging trees or even in the water, like the Copperhead or Northern Cottonmouth snake. In some cases, the danger is the river itself. One moment, it's calm and quiet, a “scenic float.” Enjoying the water, sun, and scenery is easy during this part of the river. The next moment, there may be rapids and you find yourself clinging to the raft for dear life. God forbid a rider falls out of the raft, and a whole new set of circumstances present themselves as dangers; like a rock, log or other debris, currents, eddies, holes, and undercuts are dangers where keeping your feet forward, toes up, and head above water is top priority until a calmer section of the river is reached.
In today’s scripture reading, Moses summoned all of Israel to teach them statutes and rules that the Lord instructed them to abide by and live by. This section is known as the greatest commandment and gives us instructions, “You should love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:5. This is a familiar verse to many, a good memory verse, for sure. Yet, I would like to focus on the next several verses that follow. You see, Moses didn’t stop at the commandment to love the Lord; he asked that they be placed on your heart, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.” Deuteronomy 6:6.
Moses’ instructions don’t stop there, at the heart. The remaining verses in this section speak to the importance of sharing our faith with others, specifically our children. “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:7-9. God’s Word is made to be shared. Moses shared the Lord’s commandment with the Israelites then, and he shares it with us now. The importance of sharing with our children and making God’s Word known everywhere is so we don’t forget it and pass it along to future generations.
It might seem like a strange set of directions. Still, in Jewish custom, the tefillin (also called phylacteries) were small leather boxes containing parchment inscribed with Bible verses (Torah) worn on the forehead and upper arm. Wearing these was meant to symbolize a constant focus on God’s teachings and a commitment to live by them; the mind was guarded by the tefillin with God’s Word, and the arms were bound with leather stripping, symbolizing action in God’s love.
Our more modernized, revised standard version of this is a practice at Crean Lutheran High School we call Jesus-proofing. If you’ve spent any time in our community, you may have noted Bible verses are often placed along with other messaging, marketing, email correspondences, signs, and, yes, even student-made posters in our hallways. These attempts won’t get anyone to heaven sooner; they’re just a way to remind us Whose we are and our commitment to Proclaiming Jesus Christ. I believe this practice helps maintain a Christian worldview, namely seeing life through the lens of God’s word and placing it in sight at any chance we get.
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