Day 33 - March 22, 2024
Gifts to Caesar or God
According to the dictionary, affect is usually a verb meaning “to produce an effect upon.”
Effect is usually a noun meaning “a change that results when something is done or happens.”
Once again, an election cycle seems to be affecting the mood of our country.
Modern politics seems to have a toxic effect on the application of ‘brotherly (sisterly) love’.
“If you sin, how does that affect him?
If your sins are many, what does that do to him?
If you are righteous, what do you give to him,
or what does he receive from your hand?
Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself,
and your righteousness only other people.
People cry out under a load of oppression;
they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful.” Job 35: 6-9
This election year, I am praying the Holy Spirt reconnects our beloved country. May we exceed God’s expectation to put other’s needs (friends and foes) ahead of ours (Matthew 5:38-42) and override the current social tones of ‘being truly ourselves’ and fiercely judging others. Some years ago, I worked with a family whose neighbor shot a gun in the air, to celebrate New Year’s Eve. The bullet came back down and went through their roof and killed their youngest daughter, as she lay, sleeping in her bed. All who knew her said she was a tangible blessing…in love with Jesus and her family. It was an accident; in no way intentional. Careless yes, but not wicked or sinful. Still, the tragic consequences scarred the hearts of her family and empathetic folks in the community, at large.
These years later, there are still cries for ‘justice’ and/or a change in the laws around celebratory shots-in-the-air. But Her life and the story has become an ‘issue’ drowned out on TV this year—by the powerful-opinion politics of a ‘big’ election year. Not only are we not our ‘brother’s keeper’— our failure to stay responsible for behavior that can hurt, soul deep, results in a climate which violates God’s decrees to love neighbor as self or to ensure our ambition, pride, and self-focus does not destroy the innocent child (Matthew 18:6-7). May we act in hope, love and with Christian comfort, as conjoined body-parts of Christ and do more good than harm for our brothers and sisters—lest our patriotic thank-you prayers be drowned out, by cries of the oppressed; pleas of relief to our powerful and just God.
Submitted by Chaplain John Holzhüter
Prayer God, may the passion of party and politics not drive dereliction from the loving paths shown us by Jesus. May the ‘fight for Caesar’ never override our confidence for your perfect plan for redemption and salvation. May we build prayerful harmony; with voices tuned toward hope and healing in our country—we ask this in Your holy name.
Amen.
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