Good Evening, Lord!
Words of Comfort
Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20 ESV)
Prayer of Confession
Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the silent hours of the night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this fleeting world may rest upon thine eternal changelessness; through the everlasting Christ our Lord. Amen.[1]
Catechism Reflection - The Fifth Commandment
You
shall not murder.
What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need.
When I started writing these devotions in May, I decided I would take a week on each of the Commandments. I had no idea how current the topics of the Fourth and Fifth Commandments would be. The killing of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, shocked me. I was appalled by the death of George Floyd as a police officer knelt on him. It was only later that I heard about Breonna Taylor’s tragic death during a no-knock raid. The matters of life and death with the abuse of authority have blended in a particularly poignant way in our country in these last couple weeks.
I am not getting political here. I am trying to look at this theologically. I read the commandment – you shall not murder – and I understand that this is not only about actually killing someone. We have the privilege and responsibility to help and support our neighbors in every physical need.
Too often, our theology is formed by our politics, instead of our politics being formed by our faith. We must make no mistake, God calls us to honor and protect life. This includes calling out for systems of justice that allow people to live and work without fear in their communities. It includes looking at the economic disparities in our communities and trying to understand where they come from to fix them. It also includes providing systems to stop crime and prosecute those who break the laws of the land – for instance stop rioters and looters who steal and damage the livelihood of other people - and respecting and honoring the people who do this dangerous and difficult work.
What we see in all of this is the effect of sin. It is sin that looks on our fellow human being and views them as less. It is sin that leads people to hatred, fear, and a disregard for the needs of others. It is sin that causes authorities to abuse their power and harm the people they are supposed to protect.
It is also sin for which Christ died, which means that we
are uniquely positioned to bring real reconciliation to our world. And that is
a hopeful thought. It frees us to love our neighbors, even as we ourselves have
been loved by God. It frees us to advocate for our neighbors, even as Jesus
advocates for us. It empowers us to bear with our neighbor, even as our Father
in heaven bears with us. It gives us the message and the action that heals
people, and it gives us the privilege of sharing Christ with our neighbor.
Questions for Meditation
What does this reading teach you?
What does this reading lead you to be thankful for?
What behavior, thought, or attitude does this reading
challenge? What sin does it lead you to confess?
How might you pray for God to have a richer impact on your
life through this reading?
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Verse of Benediction
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
(Rom. 15:13 ESV)
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