Today's Scripture Reading (February 22, 2023): Hosea 4
A friend of mine continually
reminds me about the church's struggle to maintain the ideals of Christ.
Recently, we discussed the handicapped people in the church. His view is that disabled
worshippers are, at best, tolerated by Christians and, at worst, exiled by the
church. I have a very different perspective. I have many Christian friends with
some disabilities. They are valued people in my circle of influence, and I am
very glad to call many of them friends. Besides, I am not without my own
disabilities, whether they are readily apparent or not. All of which I tried to
relate to my friend. His reply? How many times did you lock them in the closet?
The answer to his question is
"zero." But I also understand the angst. We haven't always done well
with people who are unlike us. I don't think it is a Christian thing, but a
human one. We seem only to want to validate those who are like us. It shouldn't
be that way, but it is.
Hosea has a message for
Israel. There are things that Israel was supposed to be. They were designed to
be a faithful people, filled with love. And if they could be characterized by
faith and love, they would acknowledge all of the things God has accomplished
in their midst. But that is not what Israel is doing. God's complaint against
the descendants of Jacob is that where faith, love, and an acknowledgment of
God should have been, these good things have been replaced with cursing, lying,
murder, stealing, and adultery. What is interesting is that what God lists are
half of the Ten Commandments. You would think that if Israel were going to keep
some of the rules, the Big Ten would be the first on the list.
Sometimes, I have to admit
that I agree with my friend. But then again, we fail in the same areas. If God
has a complaint about us, it probably isn't too far from his complaint about
Israel, as spoken through Hosea. Where is the faith, love, and acknowledgment
of God that is supposed to be present in our communities? And why would we
argue about what kind of cursing is acceptable and which is not? Why would we
lie to get our own way? Is it possible that we steal, and then make excuses for
it? We may not murder, but we are not free from hate. And lust and adultery are
much too present in our culture.
And there are likely many
other ways that we have sinned. None of which is good news for the Christian
Church. But our desire should be the same as Hosea's. We know we are sinners.
But that knowledge can arm us in ways we need to change because I am convinced
that we are the only Bibles that people like my friend will ever read. If they
don't see Christ in us, they will likely never know how much Christ loves them
and wants to be with them. That is not the way that we should react to our
world. But it should be. Because, to the Christian Church, everyone is
invaluable, and they need to understand that that is the truth that we want to
proclaim.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading:
Hosea 5
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