Observation: King Balak has commissioned the prophet Balaam to come to him and curse the Israelites so they don't invade his land. God gets angry at Balaam for going to the king so he sets an angel in his donkey's path, which only the donkey can see. Every time the donkey stops, Balaam beats it, until God allows it to speak and defend itself. Weird story.
Application: On a literal level, this story reminds me that God has a unique relationship to the creation and God cares about animals just as God cares about humans. God calls the donkey to speak the truth to a powerful prophet. I appreciate seeing Balaam's cruelty to his donkey called out in this text, ancient though it may be.
On a more figurative level, I appreciate seeing the truth laid out, that sometimes power, and the potential to get more of it, can blind us to problems right in front of our faces. And heaven forbid if someone with less power points out the problem: more than likely they'll be punished rather than thanked. Truth is truth, no matter who sees it first. Right is right, no matter whose idea it is at first. We can only see what God wants us to see when we commit to stop seeing only what we want to see, and listen to those who others ignore.
Prayer: God, open my eyes and ears for what I couldn't or wouldn't see yesterday. Help me set aside my ego and hear the witness of the powerless. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment