DECEMBER 4, 2023

 “Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)... There are just some kind of men who - who're so busy worrying about the next world they've never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.”

― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

DANIEL 3-4

34At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.

His dominion is an eternal dominion;

his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

35All the peoples of the earth

are regarded as nothing.

He does as he pleases

with the powers of heaven

and the peoples of the earth.

No one can hold back his hand

or say to him: “What have you done?”

36At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.(4:34-37) 

1 JOHN 3

11This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous. 13So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.

14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. 15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.

16By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?

18Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth. 

JOURNAL 

John continues to claim that the evidence of God is love...over and over. He calls into the comparison Cain and Abel and aligns hating our brothers to murder. That's a tough one and yet when I really think about it I realize that there are those times when I felt anger to the point that given the right circumstance it might well have boiled over into violence and death. That's a very sobering realization. I never want to believe that I would be capable of such a thing and yet if I am really honest with myself and trust scripture then the truth is that I am...and so is everyone who walks this earth. 

This is why doing life on my own and without dependence on God's spirit is the height of stupidity. Why would I ever think that I could manage it on my own?? Answer...because that's our human nature. The same wonderful gifts of creativity and intellectual power are also dangerous tools without the love of God. The best I can do is to err in love, not judgement. While as a parent and adult it will be necessary at times to pass judgement, make decisions and enforce consequences the default and the spirit of those actions must be rooted in love...never hate. 

29“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^e 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’^f 31The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^g There is no commandment greater than these.”

MARK 12:29-31