The culture in which we live has become decidedly divisive.  There is a tension between those who have a more accepting and inclusive view of society and those who don’t.  Within that inclusive culture, people of different races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and gender identities have found a way to coexist.  And then, there are those who have a more exclusive view of society where only certain people are accepted and acceptable.  Somewhere within the lives of those living in both cultures are those who identify as Christians.  There are voices on both sides which offer their opinion regarding which is truly Christian.  One culture — those who are open to an accepting of an inclusive Christian lifestyle are labeled and demonized by the other exclusive side as being “woke.”  They’re labeled as being too accepting and open to include others to be valued in our culture and our world.

         But then we hear the word of God pleading with all of those of us who call ourselves Christian to “Wake up!”  Not because we’ve been too accepting, too loving, too kind, too merciful, too forgiving, too understanding, or too inclusive, but because we have fallen asleep in our responsibility to love one another as Christ has loved us.  Some of us have forgotten that “ … God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  And because of that, we owe a continual debt of love to God and have failed in our ability to stay awake offering others the same grace and love that we’ve received.

         God’s challenge to us is not only to wake up, but to stay “woke” loving others as Christ has love us, clothing ourselves in Christ so that those who look upon us will see living images of Christ loving others, serving others, accepting others, and showing others that the kingdom of God is not something that’s coming but it is something that is already prepared for his coming and available to those who desire to enter into it.  But that only happens if and when we wake up and stay woke.

• Where have you found yourself still sleeping in your response to God’s call for us to wake up and pay the continual debt of love owed to God?
• What is needed in your life to help you to “wake up and stay woke” in order to love others more fully?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Merciful God, awaken within my heart the presence of Your loving Spirit. Open my eyes that I may pay the continual debt of love by welcoming and accepting others with the same grace You’ve shown me. Keep me spiritually “Woke” living in hope and faith as I await the return of my Christ. Amen.

         If one were reading this text today, it might be a plausible presumption that this was not about Israel but about the United States of America and other nation states where aliens, strangers, and refugees were living in hostile territory.  In America, White Christian Nationalists (WCN) have profaned God’s word and message, making its current priests (political and religious representatives of the WCN) the practitioners of what we see happening to the strangers and aliens among us.  In our country, they treat those who are strangers and refugees among us — and even some of its citizens (Representative LaMonica McIver for example), setting up ICE Detention centers as if the migrants and refugees were prey, tearing at their dignity, self-esteem, and character.  They tear families apart separating mothers from their children, husbands from their wives, removing what they call unwanted refugees from the land for no other reason than they are non-white and under the current administration, unwelcome visitors in the land.  In short, they are victims — not of the will or word of God — but of the will of those who claim to speak in God’s name when God has not spoken to them.

         God’s word and the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church speak a word of compassion and mercy toward strangers (revisit Wednesday’s devotion).  We have not treated them as if they were natives among us, nor have we loved them as ourselves in every case.  And perhaps those of us who remain silent are as guilty as those who have perpetrated the crimes.  Yet, we are still called by God to act with justice.  We are still called by God to treat those who are strangers among us with compassion, as natives among us, loving them as we love ourselves

         Our Social Principles agree with God’s word.  They are not God’s word but speak in support of God’s expectation that all humanity will be honored with both love and hospitality just as God welcomes us through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

• What can we do to become more politically involved on God’s behalf to address the current issue surrounding the strangers in our land?
• What resources (human or other) to address the inhumane treatment of people who are strangers in our country?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, lead me to do what is right in Your eyes and in the eyes of those around me to show hospitality and compassion to the strangers in my midst.

         We all have the freedom to make choices for good or for evil — for justice or injustice.  To that end, we are each motivated by our personal feelings, or we — those of us who believe in God — are motivated to do what God’s Spirit determines we should do. When the choice is ours, we can be guided by our emotions, what we think is right and just, or we can be guided by a spirit  — God’s Spirit — of doing good.  It would have been easy for the king of Israel to have beaten people who were already defeated, lost, and broken.  And yet guided by the spirit of God which says, “love your enemies”, Elisha was directed to feed them and give them drink.

         When our enemies or strangers are among us, we have the choice to treat them with kindness or severity — with love or intolerance.  We have the opportunity to show them the love of God or to visit upon them our own personal defiance of their presence among us.  God tells us what we should do.  But in every situation the choice is really ours — to be obedient to God’s word or to become our own ‘god’ and do as we wish.  It takes less effort to show kindness and hospitality than it does to show revenge.  It takes less energy to do good than it does to plot evil against someone.  Showing someone God’s love, grace, and mercy has the power to change any outcome, taking evil and turning it for good.

• What would it mean for you to show someone compassion when the opportunity to hurt them was also available?
• How could showing someone unexpected mercy change their attitude about you?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Merciful God, strengthen me by Your Spirit to be compassionate and show hospitality to my enemies, offering Your grace and justice instead of my anger and retribution.