Reflection for July 4, 2015

"Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground;
for it is time to seek the Lord,  that he may come and rain righteousness upon you."(Hosea 10:12)

Yesterday's reading from Hosea had sowing wind and reaping a whirlwind, today we move in a more positive direction sowing righteousness and reaping steadfast love. 

What does it mean to sow righteousness?  For me it is an invitation to do the right thing.  It is not an invitation to be self-righteous.  In doing the right thing, even if it isn't the popular or the safe thing the promise is to reap steadfast love.  The kind of love that is consistent and will sustain even when we aren't feeling it from others.

But sometimes we have to begin that sowing of righteousness anew.  To tap into ourselves something that has perhaps gone unattended.  Breaking up the fallow ground of indifference.  It doesn't have to be about changing from being a horrible person into a good person, though that's not a bad idea.  But when we don't seem to care, when we say it isn't my problem.  When we ask, how does this affect me?

And sometimes even for those of us who believe in God, we may have to seek him in ways we hadn't before, that way the righteousness that comes from God and his presence with us, can be steadfast and lead us to acts of mercy and compassion and love.

Blessings,
Ed