Observation: This is the commandment from God's law about fulfilling vows, which Jesus referenced when he said it's better not to make vows at all. Deuteronomy says if you refrain from vowing, you incur no guilt, but if you do make a vow, you'd better be as good as your word.
Application: Last night's attack on the campus of Michigan State University has me rattled. Four people have lost their lives. Another five are injured. A whole community, including people I know and care for very much, is traumatized. This horrific violence has become all too common in our country, and for some reason, almost exclusively in our country. Our leaders have made vows before to do something about it. Maybe we ourselves have made vows. Yet the problem remains. There may not be one law to pass, or one social reform to make, that will make all our communities stable and safe. But if we say we will do something about this, then we need to follow through. The world is watching. Our children are watching.
Prayer: God, grant peace to the community of East Lansing, and to the students and staff at MSU. Grant your holy comfort to the mourners and healing to the injured. And grant us the will, the hope, the ingenuity and the persistence to actually do something about the ongoing violence in our country. In Jesus' name, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment