Scripture:“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6.8)Reflection:Justice? In a world where so much seems unfair, where people do terrible things? We all seem to be born with an inbuilt moral sense of what is fair, of the way in which others ought to behave towards us. How should we deal with those who break the code? Low-level infringements may be cleared up with apologies and simple reparations, but at the other extreme some offences seem unforgiveable. The prophet Micah gets to the heart of the message of the Bible, and Jesus dramatically lived it out – kindness, mercy, love go hand-in-hand with justice. Justice may require punishment, but we will fail ourselves, our principles and our God if we cannot combine that with compassion. David Harmsworth
Scripture:10 Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, ‘Listen and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.’ - - - 15 But Peter said to him, ‘Explain this parable to us.’ 16 Then he said, ‘Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. 19 For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.’Reflection:Are you a vegetarian? A vegan? A committed meat eater? In Jesus’ time, where he lived, to eat the wrong food, and perhaps without the right type of hand washing beforehand, decidedly put you in the ‘bad corner’. You were regarded as unclean. In our own time, this might be like having the ‘wrong’ opinion, expressing an unpopular sentiment or just being plain old fashioned. This could bring you into conflict with others. But, just like in Jesus’ time, it is not virtue-signalling, as in behaving correctly in the eyes of others, that is important for God. God looks at what is in the heart.What is your motivation, what drives you? What is your intention? Are you perhaps indulging in consumption or behaviours that could harm others? Even if it’s not exactly murder, it could still be hurting those around you, or the planet we all share. To become aware of the consequences of our words and actions is a first step to hearing God’s will for our lives, a life in harmony with God and others. Revd Ylva
Scripture:Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ (Matthew 14:28-31)Reflection:Walking on water means, according to the American Christian author, John Ortberg: facing our fears and choosing not to let fear have the last word; discovering and embracing our unique calling from God; and being empowered to do what we would not be able to do on our own. (If you want to know more, read his great book, “In You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat”!) Taking that first step – of trust – when listening to God is the hardest step of all. It takes real trust, real courage; when every fibre of your being is saying “no, I can’t”, but you hear God calling, “Come.”Try this prayer:“Loving God, you know me through and through. You know my hopes, my fears, the things that get me going, and those that make me freeze. Give me the courage to put my anxious, fearful thoughts and feelings aside, to listen to you, and trust you. Get me out of the boat, my eyes, my mind, and my heart always fixed on you. Amen.” Revd David
