He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
You know, most days, I think I've got the "act justly" part down. I mean, I try to do the right thing. I become "righteously indignant" over the wrong thing. But that "love mercy" part...I'm not a merciful person. I'm a judgmental person. You know...the kind who wants to exact justice. And "walking humbly with God"...there's just so much there that I haven't got figured out.
Case in point, I'm becoming increasingly irritated and distracted by certain behaviors at church: kids playing with their DS during the service, adults playing solitaire or checking email and Facebook on their smart phones. Let me tell you, I get so chapped sometimes I have a hard time following the service. And I still believe these behaviors are absolutely out of line.
Well, when Lucas was speaking today, a cell phone started ringing during the service. It just kept going and going. Annoying as can be. Lucas got distracted while speaking, then finally left the platform, confiscated the phone from a junior high student, and smashed it with a hammer on the stage. Did he act justly...you bet! But did he love mercy? Absolutely not. Point made. Painfully...because it's the very issue of phones and gadgets at church that is getting under my skin.
And you know what? That's between them and God. Is it really any of my concern?
So I started thinking about my upcoming school year...already fraught with stress. I think of the unreasonable person I was last year. I was all about "acting justly" with my students, and even coworkers. But I didn't "love mercy." So, here is my new logo:
I plan to post it where it will be easily visible to remind me that my duty doesn't stop with my version of justice.
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