Now let the fear of the LORD be on you. Judge carefully, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.” – 2 Chronicles 19:7

Today’s Scripture Reading (October 19, 2013): 2 Chronicles 19

On January 22, 2008, Heath Ledger died. Ledger was found dead in his bed early in the afternoon by his housekeeper. When the autopsy came back the cause of death was listed as an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. It seemed that during the last days of Ledger’s life, Ledger had been suffering from a few ailments, and the medication that he was taking interacted with each other in a negative way causing the young actors death.

But something else was uncovered during the investigation of the final days of Heath Ledger. Ledger was just finishing up his portrayal of the Joker in the Batman saga. People close to him said that he was deeply disturbed by the portrayal of this fictional villain. The role had infected him in a very real way – and it had almost tried to change him and the way that the actor reacted to life.

There is a truth in Shakespeare’s words from “As You Like It.” Shakespeare wrote this –

                        All the world’s a stage

                        And all the men and women merely players:

                        They have their exits and their entrances;

                        And one man in his time plays many parts …     

The truth is that we are all playing a role. And if we are honest we know that is a role that we have chosen. There was no casting director that invited us to come and play the role – we have chosen the path for ourselves. And just like Heath Ledger, the part that we have chosen has infected us and it is threatening to change us.

The words of King Jehoshaphat recognize the same truth. He reminds the judges that he has appointed that they are standing in the place of God. It is a role that they get to play. But there is also a warning in his pronouncement. The role of God and the character of God is to be reflected in the decisions that they make. God is just, so they must be just. God would not consider a bribe so it should be unthinkable for them to take a bribe. God must be reflected through them, and the role that they are to play must infect their own character.

Sometimes we forget that the roles that we choose to play have the potential to infect us. And that is why we must choose those roles carefully. The roles could (and maybe should) change our lives. And as Christians, the only real role that we have to play is that of Christ. And it is as we choose Christ and begin to reflect him in our cultures that we become infected and begin to become more and more like Christ. What starts as a role that we decide to play will begin the transformation process inside of us – until our character reflects the very character of Christ – and of God. 

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 20