Excerpt from 1 Peter 3:8-12

“Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing. Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, here's what you do: Say nothing evil or hurtful; Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you're worth. God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what God is asked.” (The Message)

Reflection by Ron Buford

As a kid, riding with my Dad and men from church to a campground, one man said, “I appreciate every spanking my parents ever gave me.”

Another quickly responded, “Well, I ain’t gonna tell no lie; I got spankings I didn’t deserve . . . and besides . . . I don’t believe people should hit children like that anyway.” That launched an emotional two-hour truth-telling session, interspersed with tears and laughter.

When facing behavioral decisions in these constantly changing times, I seek advice from experts, friends, and consider two Bible texts as my gold standards of biblical advice.  Today’s text is one of them.

The other brings familiar words from Jesus that I once heard Marcus Borg adapt for modern accuracy in a sermon at Coral Gables UCC:

This is the first and greatest relationship in life (commandment).  Love God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.

Borg said, “You can keep the commandments and still be a jerk. But you cannot be in relationship with the Divine Presence without being continually transformed.”

Among the guys in the car that day was a grandson of freed slaves who hated all beatings; a former wife-beating alcoholic filled with regret; a man who still beat his children as his father had beaten him and who never questioned it until that day; and a young boy who listened pondered these things . . .

Prayer

Gracious God, order my steps in your Word. Please heal, transform, ad release me. Make evolving change possible, for me, my family, and succeeding generations. Amen. 

About the Author Ron Buford is Director of Development for the Northern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ.

New for Lent--The Jesus Diaries: Who Jesus is to Me, Entries from the Stillspeaking Writer's Group.  Ideal for your weekly Lenten discussion series.  Eight short, conversational essays by writers of the Daily Devotionals. 

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