It is the 11th remembrance of 9/11 today and it occurs to me that Justice is not found in revenge, nor is it found in destroying an army. Justice is found in stopping the cycle of violence and hate, oppression and systemic poverty. Consider today's Moravian Daily Texts:
Psalm 106:13-23; Ruth 4; Luke 23:32-43
Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely. Psalm 139:4
The good works of some are clearly evident, and those that are otherwise cannot be hidden. 1 Timothy 5:25 (NKJV)
Ruth and Naomi needed an intercessor to stand on their behalf and do what was right. They found such a man in Boaz. Though he was not first in-line to reclaim their property and set things right, he was willing to do what was right. He offered the first right to another who refused out of fear that his wealth would be shared. Boaz married Ruth, a woman disdained for her ethnicity, because it stopped the cycle of poverty in her life.
Jesus, while on the cross, gave forgiveness to a criminal that recognized the cycle and his own need to step out of it. God'd grace consistently brings God's Justice; the end to destructive human patterns.
In Afganistan we can defeat an enemy with bullets and drone strikes. The measure of our success however, will be in the number of schools we build, life improvements we make, and freedoms we bring. Theses are the weapons the stop the cycles. As a Christian, I am aware of God's work around me. I am also invited to change to world around me with how I live and love. May you be challenged today to love a Jesus loves and serve as he serves
Prayer of the Day:
Lord, in you alone we are an unstoppable force. Even when we think you are far away, you are so close. Even when we have hidden from you or run away, you are always there. We will not deny you any longer, but spread the word of your glory and goodness. Let our works magnify you among the peoples. Amen.
