Today's Word
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Salisbury PlainClimb a Hill, Look at a Rock Day
Our Lord is so good, He grants us many blessings. We can see Him in the daily course of events, in our homes, our jobs, our lives. I pray that these words help you to grow in your faith and recognize His hand in even the most mundane circumstances.
The picture to the right is of a Celtic Chapel located in Cornwall England. This building is approximately 1700 years old, and contains a holy well known for its healing powers.
(Click for enlarged)
“Likewise, you younger ones, be subject to the elder. Yes, all of you clothe yourselves with humility, to subject yourselves to one another; for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:5-7, WEB
Benedict the African was born to parents who were African slaves in sixteenth-century Sicily. They were given Italian names and became Christians. As loyal servants of their master they were granted freedom for their son before his birth. He was uneducated and illiterate. As a youth, he worked as a shepherd, and though he earned a pittance he was extremely generous, sharing what little he had with the poor. As an adult, he was publicly insulted because of his skin color. His response was patient and dignified, refusing to be angered by the insult. He was noticed by the leader of a group of hermits that followed the rule of St. Francis of Assisi and invited to join them. He gave up all his earthly possessions and became one of them. He served as a cook for the community in the beginning but eventually took over as leader of the group. He later joined the Franciscan Friary of St. Mary of Jesus, beginning first as a cook, but then moving into positions with more responsibility, despite the fact that he was a lay brother, not a priest, and was still illiterate.
He grew in his spiritual life and was widely respected for his deep, intuitive understanding of theology and Scripture. Many people sought him for counseling and healing. He took his responsibilities seriously. He helped the order adopt a stricter version of the Franciscan Rule of Life. His kind and humble attitude drew many people. In his later years, his love of cooking took him back into the kitchen. It is said that Benedict predicted the very day and hour he would die.
Benedict faced racial prejudice and taunts because of his skin color with patience and understanding. He is the patron saint of African Americans. There are a number of historically black Roman Catholic parishes that bear his name. Many of those churches have vibrant ministries that reach out to transient, disenfranchised, and isolated people.
There is no doubt that racism is still a problem in our world. People are taunted for their skin color. Some are profiled. Others are falsely imprisoned. We have made great strides in the past hundred years, but there are always people who see appearances rather than character. It isn’t just skin color that affects our relationships with others. We judge people in all sorts of ways. Children with disabilities. Obesity. Secondhand clothing. The wrong job. The wrong neighborhood. The wrong school. Benedict could have gotten angry, and perhaps even responded with violence at the persecution and the taunts, but he remained patient and humble. He did not demand anything from anyone, but he received far more than he could have imagined.
Today is Benedict the African’s saint day, and we are reminded through his life to take heed of Peter’s words. God knows what is going on in His world. He knows about all the prejudices and taunts that hurt people. He sees the suffering of those the world has cast only injustices. God resists the proud, so we need to learn to be aware of the way we see and respond to our neighbors, because our words and actions can hurt. On the other hand, we also need to learn how to respond when our neighbors are unaware of the ways they are hurting us. As we grow in faith, we can become like Benedict, humbly trusting that God will exalt the downtrodden in His way and in His time. We can cast all our worries on Him because He cares for all of us.
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“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them. For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity, that they may be without excuse. Because knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, and didn’t give thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, four-footed animals, and creeping things.” Romans 1:18-23, WEB
I didn’t address April Fool’s day on Tuesday. I did see several posts on Monday that warned readers not to believe anything they saw on April 1st. I have been fooled in previous years by posts from some of my favorite retail establishments or fast food joints. I’ve seen posts from friend that made me think twice. There’s a post that is put out every year about the “bluebonnet rattler,” a rattle snake that has adapted to living in the bluebonnet fields by becoming blue. I confess that I was amazed the first time I saw it, until I realized that it was April Fool’s Day. I didn’t see that post this year. As a matter of fact, I didn’t see very many posts on Tuesday. They didn’t show up until Wednesday, a day late. When the post didn’t make sense, I checked the date it was posted and realized it was a joke.
Most of them were just silly this year, easily understood to be a joke. This is good, because sometimes we need a little laugh. The best joke came from Dinosaur Valley State Park, which is in Glen Rose, Texas. The park has several large sculptures of dinosaurs, and the post showed Bronto, an extremely large (lifesize?) brontosaurus had escaped the park. The comments under the post were hysterical as everyone claimed Bronto was in their neighborhood. The best responses, however, came as the other state parks began posting photo shopped pictures of Bronto in their parks. Bronto was sighted all over Texas this week. It made me laugh and wonder if it was a planned joke, or if the other state parks jumped into the fray on their own.
April Fool’s day is a day filled with foolishness. People like to play practical jokes on their family and friends. How did this tradition get started? It is likely that the tradition began in medieval times, when the Gregorian calendar was established. Before the mid-16th century, the Europeans celebrated New Year in the springtime, around April 1st. In 1564, King Charles IX of France accepted the more accurate Gregorian calendar, which placed New Year’s on January 1st. Some people were too stubborn to change, or they had not received the news of the change, so they continued to celebrate on April 1st. They were called “April Fish.” They were looked upon as fools and were targeted with foolish gifts and invitations to celebrations, which were not happening. Eventually everyone accepted the new calendar, but they continued to play pranks on April Fool’s Day.
Most jokes are just harmless fun, but not all jokes have a happy ending. Some people go to great lengths to plan and execute practical jokes, but at times they end in pain and heartache. It may be funny on April Fool’s day to cause someone to be a fool, but in the kingdom of God it is better to be wise than to be a fool. This is certainly what we’ve been learning in our study of the Book of Proverbs.
Paul tells us that the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Are we at a time when foolishness is creeping into the hearts and minds of men? There are many religions, even some that call themselves Christian, that have turned from the one True and Living God. They do not teach the truth of the scriptures or the message of Jesus Christ. They have traded the Gospel for something they desire: doctrine that tickles their fancy and touches their flesh. Many preachers today are teaching wealth and perfection, Gnostic ideas about special knowledge from God. They are teaching the people to walk away from Christ s body the Church, to forsake the scriptures and commands of Christ and to live a spiritual existence that seems right but is actually separate from Christ. Satanists and other non-Christian religions are giving the appearance of truth, drawing people into their lies.
Chasing a dinosaur all over Texas is fun, making us laugh at the joke, but how many ways are we living lives that do not glorify God? How many ways is the world causing us to turn away from our Lord? The truth of God, the incredible grace, mercy, and nature of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Power of the Holy Spirit are clearly seen, not only in scriptures but also in the creation. Are you wise, or a fool? Do you truly know God, or are you following the images created by men?
The following links provide some specially chosen scripture that tell the stories of the Birth and Passion of our Lord as Savior Jesus Christ, as well as a fictional perspective of the Crucifixion. Spend time in God's Word, read about His life and learn of the wonderful gifts He has for you. Know Jesus Christ and honor Him today. Thanks be to God.
The Story of our Savior's Passion
The Crucifixion, a fictional perspective
When researching, I use several versions of the bible, including the New International Version and English Standard Version. Due to copyright restrictions, I have not included quotes for the scriptures on some of the archives, but highly encourage you to open your own bibles to read the scripture passages for yourselves. Where scripture is quoted, it is usually the American Standard Version or World English Bible which belong to the public domain. Any other versions used in quotes are identified.
The devotion posted on Wednesday is based on the Lectionary texts used by millions of Christians each Sunday. The Lectionary consists of four texts: an Old Testament passage, a Psalm, a passage from one of the Epistles and a Gospel text and follows the church calendar. Archives for these writings are found at Midweek Oasis.
You are welcome to use these words to share the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. Please remember to give credit to the Author who has given you these gifts, and keep in remembrance the vessel which He used to bring them to you. We pray that this site may be a blessing to you and anyone with whom you've shared it. Peggy Hoppes
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