Today’s Readings: Psalm 55; Leviticus 25:35-55; Luke 22:1-13; Ephesians 1:1-10; Psalm 49
As a person of faith who continues to be subjected to the rhetoric surrounding the upcoming election every time I turn on the television or radio, I’m fascinated by how strategically individuals will use their faith when it supports their position and conveniently ignore their faith when it does not. Case in point: the so-called social issues of our day. We have grown to expect candidates to use their faith when it comes to issues like homosexuality and abortion. There’s one area in our common life, however, where faith is NEVER used in political discussions. That area? Economics. When was the last time you heard a politician quote a passage like today’s from Leviticus, for instance, as a call to expand unemployment benefits or welfare. After all, the passage reads: “If one of your brothers becomes indigent and cannot support himself, help him” (Leviticus 25:35). And how many candidates have used the passage from Leviticus to argue in favor of regulating interest rates? Don’t forget today’s passage reads: “Don’t gouge him with interest charges… Don’t take advantage of his plight by running up big interest charges on his loans” (Leviticus 25:36-37). The answer to the last two questions is “Never” and “None”. Why is that? Why has it become okay to use one’s faith in one area and completely ignore it in others? I’m sure there are many answers to that question. One of the primary answers involves self-interest. When it comes to the use of our faith, a guiding principle is this: “I’ll use my faith when it helps me get what I want, and ignore it when it doesn’t.” Of course politicians aren’t the only ones to do that. Many of us (myself included!) are prone to do that. Today’s passage from Leviticus reminds us that if we are going to make appeals based on our faith in one area of our life, we better be ready to open other areas of our lives to our faith as well – especially those areas that we might like to consider off-limits to our faith. Til next time…
As a person of faith who continues to be subjected to the rhetoric surrounding the upcoming election every time I turn on the television or radio, I’m fascinated by how strategically individuals will use their faith when it supports their position and conveniently ignore their faith when it does not. Case in point: the so-called social issues of our day. We have grown to expect candidates to use their faith when it comes to issues like homosexuality and abortion. There’s one area in our common life, however, where faith is NEVER used in political discussions. That area? Economics. When was the last time you heard a politician quote a passage like today’s from Leviticus, for instance, as a call to expand unemployment benefits or welfare. After all, the passage reads: “If one of your brothers becomes indigent and cannot support himself, help him” (Leviticus 25:35). And how many candidates have used the passage from Leviticus to argue in favor of regulating interest rates? Don’t forget today’s passage reads: “Don’t gouge him with interest charges… Don’t take advantage of his plight by running up big interest charges on his loans” (Leviticus 25:36-37). The answer to the last two questions is “Never” and “None”. Why is that? Why has it become okay to use one’s faith in one area and completely ignore it in others? I’m sure there are many answers to that question. One of the primary answers involves self-interest. When it comes to the use of our faith, a guiding principle is this: “I’ll use my faith when it helps me get what I want, and ignore it when it doesn’t.” Of course politicians aren’t the only ones to do that. Many of us (myself included!) are prone to do that. Today’s passage from Leviticus reminds us that if we are going to make appeals based on our faith in one area of our life, we better be ready to open other areas of our lives to our faith as well – especially those areas that we might like to consider off-limits to our faith. Til next time…
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