Today's Daily Soap {Scripture | Observation | Application | Prayer}
- S: Here's how we can be sure that we know God in the right way: Keep his commandments. If someone claims, "I know him well!" but doesn't keep his commandments, he's obviously a liar. His life doesn't match his words. But the one who keeps God's word is the person in whom we see God's mature love. This is the only way to be sure we're in God. Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived. ... Anyone who claims to live in God's light and hates a brother or sister is still in the dark. It's the person who loves brother and sister who dwells in God's light and doesn't block the light from others. But whoever hates is still in the dark, stumbles around in the dark, doesn't know which end is up, blinded by the darkness. 1 John 2:2-6,9-11 [MSG]
- O: "Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived. ... Anyone who claims to live in God's light and hates a brother or sister is still in the dark.
- A: Think God isn't in control? That He doesn't speak to us? Try this. Every day I pull the readings for my Life Journaling (Daily Soap) from an established reading plan. I don't make these up or try myself to find something that meets a particular purpose. Today, my own religious beliefs were challenged and I was called a racist because of some content that appeared beneath a recent article I wrote on Redstate.com. The content was not of my design, but rather appended to my article by Redstate without my knowledge or approval. Today, I sat down to Life Journal and read the above passage from 1 John 2. It's the person who loves brother and sister who dwells in God's light and doesn't block the light from others. As I stood accused of being a racist, posting content that I did not post, my faith being called into question, it is comforting -- like reassurance from God -- to read such words of wisdom. By no design of my own, simply following my established reading plan, I was led to such a timely passage. Say it's fate. Say it's coincidence. Say it's my imagination. Say whatever you want, but I say it's the way that God communicates in our world today.
- P: Father, as I try to live a life that is an example of Your love, it is inevitable that I will face accusation and insult from time to time. Your Word says so, and I've certainly experienced it before. Thank You for using Your Word and my daily journaling to provide reassurance and affirmation in the face of such accusations.
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1 comment:
I understand why you feel that I was accusing you of being racist. My husband used the same word, "accused," when I told him why I was so upset when he came home from work that evening.
The trouble with DM's via twitter is that I haven't figured out yet how to review what I have written. So I will take on faith that I accused YOU of being racist and I do believe that I did.
The offensive cartoon was beneath your post so I thought it was yours. I had no idea that RedState is provider of web space and I hope that other visitors to your RedState site don't attribute the cartoon to you too. They apparently don't because I don't see any other comments suggesting they do. Maybe that, or maybe they just don't comment, or maybe they agree.
I don't know and it doesn't matter. What matters is that I jumped to a conclusion about you due to a group you associate with. That is wrong and I apologize.
It is funny how Scripture speaks to us. Funny isn't the right word, and I'm not sure what is. It's a comforting, good feeling that comes when we see the parallels in our lives.
I will need to meditate more on the Scripture cited here to know how it applies. Right now, it seems like those who offer the space at RedState is who John's Writing refers to. I am interested to know how you read it.
Thank you for writing to me via DM, Joe. It clarified for me how this happened and took away the doubts expressed in my DM's to you.
Again, I apologize for accusing you of being responsible for the racist cartoon.
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