Focus
Turn off your cell phone, TV, or radio. Listen to the silence that is around you. Listen for God to speak to you.
Read
Reflect
Reflect: Metaphorically, God describes injustice as tearing away at the very beings of his creation.
God was speaking to those who hold power over the people, put in place to rembrace and provide justice to the people. Power too often is gained by objectifying the weak, the poor, or those disenfranchised; human beings caught in helplessness to abusive power. Notice God’s initial preface, “Should you not embrace justice…” This condemning poetry is likely an if/then statement from God.
Should you not embrace justice then you will become rulers who hate good and love evil. The metaphor is shocking. Comparing the use of humans unjustly for
personal power and control to tearing apart their very capacity to have life informs us of how God views injustice. God knows how far injustice goes once it takes control. God knows how metaphor becomes blended with reality in human affairs, and we still need to be wary of what God warns us about ourselves even today. We can do great evil with unchecked power, and our appetite for gain will blind us to our evil deeds.
On January 7th, video captured what many already knew was not an isolated event. A man was objectified as a ‘thing’ that could be used and abused because ‘it’ offered them the feeling of power. Five men who ruled the streets found fodder, and they sought no good in their evil act. They had lost touch with the commandment to embrace justice— the very reason society placed them as rulers on the streets. The metaphor became blended that night, and real flesh and bones were beat to pieces. Boots chopped at ‘its’ head and neck, like tenderizing meat for a frying pan. One more piece of meat in the streets.
Pray
Lord of all, we humbly call out to ask you to turn your attention on our inattention, even worse, our inaction to your Word. Forgive us for thinking we have evolved beyond such butchery, and make us see we cannot turn from embracing justice. Give us wisdom to see that every human is a living being, that what is done to the least has also been done to Christ. We call out to you Lord, we pray it is not too late. Do not turn your face away because of our evil. In our grief we pray. Amen.
Go with God.
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