The Perfect Antidote

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blameless, blessed, John, love one another, psalm 119, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Speaking of antonyms (as I was doing yesterday), I have no choice but to choose love as the theme for today. Psalm 119 announces it when it declares: Blessed are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!” (vs.1-2), waking up those who have slept through the first reading from the second letter of John. In a clarion call that John sees as only a reminder of what God’s law proclaims, he says: “I ask you, not as if I were writing a new commandment but the one we have had from the beginning: let us love one another.” 

Grateful to have that reminder that speeds us 180 degrees away from the circle of toxicity, I rest my case!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friends of God

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Ancient Songs Sung Anew, behavior, blameless, discourse, ethical, friendship, good, justice, moral, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, truth, virtuous

I can’t help thinking as I read the lectionary psalm for today (15) how timeless the messages of Scripture often are. As we think of those who might be found “on God’s holy mountain,” we might include “the one who walks blamelessly and does justice; who thinks the truth in her heart and slanders not with his tongue…” (vs.2-3)

I am further moved to reflection by the commentary that notes its similarity with modern-day definitions of a good, virtuous person, saying that “[T]here is an ethical and moral basis which seems common to both the ancient and modern worlds. Clearly men and women in the ancient world were seeking to define ethical behavior. Perhaps it enters this Psalm because it was of such critical importance that they do so.”

As we await the resolution of the issue in our Congress about the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court we would do well to note the continuation of that commentary as a guide for our discourse in the matter and consider it in that light.

“Notice that such a definition is is in direct relationship to the divine. Abraham was called a ‘friend’ of God, one who knew God-in-relationship. This Psalm is about that kind of friendship, but it is not simply one-on-one. Whoever seeks for a relationship with God (for the divine friendship) must come seeking right-relationship not only with God but with everything.” (Ancient Songs Sound Anew, p. 33)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Integrity, Part Two

Tags

blameless, integrity, love your neighbor as yourself, salvation, synchronicity, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

One of the interesting facets for me of this blogging activity is the ability to track not only numbers of “hits” but also where readers come from. The numbers range usually somewhere between 20 and 40 readers in a day and generally the majority are residents of the United States. Last fall there was a period where – for a few weeks – numbers were consistently between 60 and 80 each day before they settled again into the 40 – 50 range. It all seems random to me but interesting nonetheless.

You may imagine my surprise when I checked yesterday and found that on Thursday, when the title was Integrity, the readership number spiked to 184 views by 171 visitors! (Sometimes people read more than one post on a particular day.) The previous top number had been somewhere around 85! Not having time when I saw that fact yesterday to check on what prompted the spike I assumed it was the topic and was overjoyed that so many people are obviously touched by the determined response of the young survivors of the latest school shooting in Florida.

This morning I was determined to follow up with this theme and was happy that the lectionary readings agreed with my choice. Then I just happened to look again at the statistics and found that only ten of all those readers had chosen to read the post about integrity! So what do I do now?! I asked myself. Using the statistics under false pretenses for my purpose would cause at least a small chink in the armor of integrity, wouldn’t it? Undoubtedly…but who would know? And who would be hurt by it? It’s just such thoughts as these, perhaps, that start us down the slippery slope of using information incorrectly for our own purposes.

While taking note of the reminder in the paragraph above, I prefer to think of this whole incident as one of synchronicity and to leave you with a few of the most powerful lines from Scripture that I find to be lessons in the lifelong quest for integrity.

1. Today the Lord is making this agreement with you: you are to be a people peculiarly his own as he promised you…DT 26
2. Blessed are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord…PS 119
3. Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation…2 COR 6
4. “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemies. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…MT 5.