8-31-2015

 Good Morning All!!                       

         Amos 5:24; “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

    Have you ever used, or heard your parents use, the phrase “the proof is in the pudding?”  Did you ever stop and think what on earth this could possibly mean?  “The proof is in the pudding”; what proof and where is this pudding?  What are we proving and what kind of pudding?  Is it proof as in the photographs you get to see if you like them or proof as in what a mathematician would do?  Is it chocolate or bread pudding?

    The phrase is a contraction of the original phrase which was “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”  At least this makes some sense.  It starts at least in the 1600’s and meant that the goodness of the pudding is in the eating.  It is not so much what the pudding looks like or what the cook claims; what matters is what it tastes like.  In many ways our faith is the same way.  We can tell the world that we are Christian, we can dress like a Christian but the proof of our faith is in our actions.  The observable element of our faith is how we treat others especially those who are oppressed, poor or needy.

     We are to “do justice.”  Justice is a verb; it is something which we must actively seek and engage in.  We cannot have a true relationship with God if we continue to cheat or exploit our neighbor.  God’s Spirit, active in our heart, leads us to desire the good things, as in peace, joy, self-control, love, patience, etc.  God’s Spirit, active in our life, moves us to act.  God’s Spirit moves us to feel compassion on our fellow man and then to show that compassion and it is an active compassion.  It is not enough to say, I harmed no one” rather we must say “I helped someone.”  This is what it means to be committed to justice; this is what it means to be active. 

     Simple words are not enough, God calls us to action.  God calls us to be active in this world bringing the healing that Jesus began.  The underlying understanding of justice is that all humans possess basic rights and obligations given to us by God at creation.  It is not for us, as God’s creatures, to deny, renege or destroy these rights and obligations.  These fundamental rights include life, respect, honor and value.  The obligations are to see to it that all people are given these and that all of creation is protected and respected.  It is not ours to decide who receives respect or life and who does not; this is God’s decision.  We are to act; we are to do justice.  We are to have compassion on the weak and the needy, the lost and the hurting.  We are to bring healing and reconciliation to the broken and the downtrodden.  We are to be active agents of God’s mercy.

Father, we witness so much pain in this world.  We see the broken souls and the despondent spirits.  We see our hurting neighbor.  Move us by your mighty Spirit to bring about your healing.  Lead us to have the same compassion as Jesus.  Lead us to honor and cherish all life as a gift from you.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret