Reflections for 3/17/14

"There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him:haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that hurry to run to evil,a lying witness who testifies falsely, and one who sows discord in a family."(Proverbs 4:16-19)


While most of the focus today seemed to be about people wearing green and how everyone is Irish, I also noticed some chatter around the impending death of the Rev. Fred Phelps.


Pastor Phelps may not be a household name for you but his "church" is, Westboro Baptist Church, infamous for picketing at military funerals and in front of churches that do not see the world the same way he did. His "members" (mostly his extended family) show up with signs bearing such good news as "God Hates Fags."


There is much that I could say about these signs, first being I'm not at all convinced that God hates things, and I'm sure God isn't pleased with people speaking on his behalf at funerals.


But here in this passage from Proverbs the author says that there are six things he hates and even seven that are an abomination. Funny thing is these are things all of us should have real problems with. Haughty eyes or to put it a different way, people who think they are better than everyone else. Lying, people who literally kill others for no reason. Some planning to do bad things, people who eagerly who choose to be bad and around bad people. Someone who lies in such a way that gets other people in trouble. And one who brings discord into a family, and family doesn't have to be relatives.


While most of these actions are easy to avoid, there are a couple that all of us should be vigilant about, that haughtiness and sowing discord intentionally.


And while I'm not into hate language, I do think these actions are highly problematic in the eyes of God and should be for us as well.


Blessings,

Ed