Wednesday, February 15, 2017

To be or not to be ...

"You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy."  (Leviticus 19, 2)
 These words - from the Lord to Moses making their way to the congregation of the people of Israel and now to my heart - I find difficult at best.  The Lord continues to remind the people exactly what being holy looks like - being generous with what you have, being honest, forgiving and loving.  Theologians suggest that these words probably influenced the Sermon on the Mount from Jesus.  And here is the difficult part - Jesus says we are to do these things for those we consider enemies, those who have apposing views, and those who we have trouble liking, let alone loving.  We are not to hold grudges and we are to deal justly with one another in order to be holy as God is holy.  Thankfully, I am a United Methodist who believes in going on to perfection! That this life of faith is a continuous journey that makes me examine my life in light of the Word of God.  This week I will seek to be holy and honor the the words that convict and speak to my heart.

May we learn to open in love
so that all the doors and windows 
of our bodies swing wide
on their rusty hinges.

May we learn to give ourselves with both hands,
to lift each other on our shoulders,
to carry others along.

May holiness move in us
so we pay attention to its small voice
and honor its light in each other.
(" Prayers for Healing; 365 Blessings, Poems, and Meditations from Around the World,"  Dawna Marko0va)