I wonder why the Bible mentions ​remembering the poor, ​promoting justice, and ​showing compassion so much. Like, many hundreds of times. There’s little or no mention of many current hot button issues, but man, don’t get God started on poverty, justice, and compassion​! He means business.

​Maybe he keeps bringing it up because ​his call to selflessness is so hard for us. He wants us to transcend above taking care of #1. Of course​ we need to survive and take care of our littles, but we tend not to stop there. We take care of #1, then we take care of #1 some more, then we dream of better and better ways to take care of #1. Then we die. 

But… 

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you: To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 

I think, in addition to what is going on politically in our country, the Church is going through a shake-up. And there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it’s healthy. The role of the Prophets in the Old Testament was to call people back to the essence of God. And he’s already shown us what is good. Justice. Mercy. Humility. Maybe we’ve slid away from that and forgotten how important those things are to him. 

I’ll be accused of being “progressive” in saying that, but to be clear, I’m not saying they are the only things important to God. Just that they are VERY important to him. And God is not divided. We need to be very careful if we’re tempted to call what is unjust, unmerciful, and arrogant good.

He’s still calling. And people are hearing his voice.

I wonder why the Bible mentions ​remembering the poor, ​promoting justice, and ​showing compassion so much. Like, many hundreds of times. There’s little or no mention of many current hot button issues, but man, don’t get God started on poverty, justice, and compassion​! He means business.

​Maybe he keeps bringing it up because ​his call to selflessness is so hard for us. He wants us to transcend above taking care of #1. Of course​ we need to survive and take care of our littles, but we tend not to stop there. We take care of #1, then we take care of #1 some more, then we dream of better and better ways to take care of #1. Then we die. 

But… 

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you: To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 

I think, in addition to what is going on politically in our country, the Church is going through a shake-up. And there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it’s healthy. The role of the Prophets in the Old Testament was to call people back to the essence of God. And he’s already shown us what is good. Justice. Mercy. Humility. Maybe we’ve slid away from that and forgotten how important those things are to him. 

I’ll be accused of being “progressive” in saying that, but to be clear, I’m not saying they are the only things important to God. Just that they are VERY important to him. And God is not divided. We need to be very careful if we’re tempted to call what is unjust, unmerciful, and arrogant good.

He’s still calling. And people are hearing his voice.