Today’s Scripture Reading (March 23,
2017) Ezekiel 2
One of the
questions that I keep tripping over is this – what does it really mean to be a follower of Christ in our
society. I’ll be honest; I don’t like the models that I am being shown. Christians often seem to be the first to
criticize and condemn and call down the wrath of God on society. Is it
warranted? Again, I think the answer is
yes – sometimes. But my real concern is more
with where we are standing when the criticism starts. Too often we stand as the righteous – on our own merit – talking to
those that are not. And that is not the image I see
in the Bible.
What impresses
me about Ezekiel’s call is that God made it clear that he was sending him – not
to a different culture – but to his people. The charge to Ezekiel was not that
they would know that a critic had been among them – but that a prophet had been
among them -someone that spoke with the authority (and I believe the love) of
God. And God was going to make it easy – he was sending him to people who were
just like him.
I think we
sometimes forget that. If we are the ones looking from the outside in – we
aren’t acting like a prophet, but a critic. A critic speaks from the seats and
has no connection with the project. A prophet understands where it is that the
people are standing – in fact, he stands on the stage with them – and he
numbers himself as one of them. As he speaks the word of God –
the word being spoken applies as much to
him as those who are listening.
Our world
doesn’t need any more critics. It needs people that will stand
beside us in the middle of the fight and remind them of what God says. And that
is who I believe that we are called to be.
Have a great
day!
Tomorrow’s Scripture
Reading: Ezekiel 3
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