Micah 6:8

A friend of mine, Kyle Roberson shared this on Facebook: Teresa of Avila, a sixteenth-century Spanish mystic, wrote, "Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion is to look out to the world; yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good; yours are the hands with which God is to bless people now (from commonprayer.net )." Did you catch that? It isn't that God needs us, but God designed the Kingdom of God to use human hands. God changed my life and most often that has been through the hands and feet of people. I think about the pastor who baptized me right after I was adopted; about Jim Gaither who put up with me in Sunday school; Rev. Travis Franklin who confirmed me; Marsha Ingle who was my youth pastor; my parents; Rev. Judy Shema who was my faith mom in college; Gary Moore who was my mentor in college; and Travis Burdett who was my closest friend in seminar...

I am struck by this passage in Matthew 5:21-24 "You have heard it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sisters, 'Raca,' is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First God and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift." In the sermon on the mount (this scripture is part of that teaching) Jesus is always escalating the teachings of the law. It is no longer enough to simply not murder another person but Jesus wants to make us truly human and that means we are not to harbor anger or hate and desire violence agains...