What Does the Lord Require?
Cathi Cackler-Veazey, World Church Diversity and Inclusion Team, co-team leader
What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? -Micah 6:8
The three messages of this scripture are important guidelines for understanding what God expects of us. The first is to do justice. We know that justice includes acting mercifully. Several years ago I was creating silk screen pictures at Spectacular. Of the many I made, my favorite was the one that said “Pray for Peace, Work for Justice.” The call for justice means acting with mercy toward others. We cannot have peace without justice.
The second guideline from the scripture is to love kindness. Love that responds to human need in an unexpected or unmerited way is the essence of kindness. It brings with it the spirit that was exemplified by the life of Christ. His loving kindness to those that society marginalized was antithetical to the cultural norms of the time. Treating women as whole and equal members of society or honoring the Samaritan for his kindness in spite of his marginalization in society was an important demonstration of Godliness.
The third guideline is to walk humbly with God. To walk humbly is to be modest, without an excess of pride. For some, humility seems to be easy; for others it is a learned attribute. Again using the example of Christ, being humble provides opportunity to build deeper, more meaningful relationships with others. Humility also opens the door to listening for the concerns of others and to the leading of God in one’s life. Humility encourages one to be open to new ideas and helps one grow spiritually.
The church’s Enduring Principle Pursuit of Peace (Shalom) embodies doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God. As we make decisions or take actions in our lives, we should always ask, “What does the Lord require of me at this moment?”
Prayer Phrase
I surrender into your love, O God.
Spiritual Practice
Surrender
What might it look like to surrender a little to God each day? A simple prayer of surrender can help us become aware of God’s consistent invitations to deeper relationship and awareness. Imagine when you encounter a challenging person or situation silently uttering this prayer, “I surrender into your love, O God.” The same prayer can be meaningful in moments of joy and gratitude as a way of returning to the awareness of oneness with God. It’s ok if we don’t surrender everything all at once all the time. The prayer of surrender is a constant practice of returning little by little to the deepest love that is the ground of our being and desires wholeness and oneness for us and all creation.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
