Let us rejoice

Some readings to reflect on Australia Day might include Deuteronomy 8, Psalm 125, Hebrews 11, and Matthew 5

The idea of a national day
is not without some difficulty 
but it does give us much to think about.
So often we are seduced into thinking
that faith is ‘private’

And that God has nothing to do
with our nation.
If you read the Hebrew Scriptures
this idea is almost totally foreign.
The prophets speak almost entirely 
to the nation!
It is not about a narrow personal morality.
It is not about what I must do
in order to keep myself
In line with the divine.

It is rather what
WE, as a community/nation/people
should be doing

Blessed are they!

It is instructive that we are pointed to the Beatitudes.
Dallas Willard(see his book Divine Conspiracy... also available on YouTube) reminds us that: 
this is not a prescription...
become

    poor

    or persecuted

    or meek

As though somehow

some people are ‘unblessable’

Jesus is essentially saying
that the ‘unblessable’
are also IN!  

I wonder if we can stay with that.
There is no one who is beyond God’s reach!!
Not you or me. Not anyone!

So, who do WE think is not really ready for God’s grace?
We are being invited to  recognise
that the fat, the drunk, 
the refugee,  the criminal,
the divorced, the immoral....we might go on!

The world tells us...
...the beautiful, the successful, 
the clever....the correct
are OK!

What about our country?
I am not convinced 
that Muslims are the problem
for Australia or anywhere else!
The real problem 
for we Christians
is that 
WE
have lost faith 
The God who speaks to the nations 
is saying to us
I want to bless you!
Are we saying....I don’t really believe in your promise?

If we ask ourselves
What does God, Adonai Elohenu!, actually have to say to our world
Do we think that that there is an answer to that question?
I certainly do!

I am the God who wants people of all races to live in harmony with each other
I am the God who does not think that because a person is :

• black
• gay
• female
• Asian
• Muslim

You name it! They are out!
What do we want our country to be like.

May we want nothing more than to be what the Gospel requires.... to do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with our God!
So may it be!