June 12, 2024

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“During the night I had a vision, and there before me was a man mounted on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.” (Zechariah 1.8)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

As you remember from yesterday’s reflection, the question posed to Zechariah and to the riders was for an observational report concerning the “state of peace.” It was reported that all was at rest, peace ruled throughout the land [at least the land of Darius which would include the Jews.] How many of us long for peace? We each have our concept of peace and how we think it would best be expressed to our satisfaction. Commonly, peace is considered as a place where no conflict exists; at least no physical nor emotion/psychological conflict. Take today’s current state of affairs at home and abroad. There is little peace requiring a call for peace. Yet, in this “call for peace” what are the parameters and determining factors which would validate the presence of peace. We simply need to look at the frightful conflict in the Middle East in which Israel is the central focal point. The presence of a truce; cease fire; release of Israeli and Hamas/Palestinian hostages; unlimited resources of food, medical supplies and rebuilding materials; as well as the elimination of Israel (according to Hamas) and of Hamas (according to Israel) would be such indicators. But would those things truly make for peace? Why even in this country we know we are not at peace based on similar factors (identified with American citizens and illegal immigrants, for example). A simple perusal of the statistics of crime, poverty, radicalism (economics, sectarianism, politics, racism to name a few) will show us that even in the “greatest and most powerful nation on earth” there is great conflict and an uneasy sense of peace if even that.

This helps us to see what was happening in the days of Zechariah, as it did for all the prophets, when it came to attempting to understand peace. At what cost? For what purpose? To what end? I would offer here a thought I have long considered to be more descriptively true: the opposite of love in not hate but apathy. Love is a sense of emotion which affirms and includes others for mutual welfare and benefit. It is an “active” verb and descriptor. Hate may at first look like the opposite of hate in that it is not “loving others” but more “loving self.” It, too, is an “active” verb and descriptor. But, what of apathy? We can start with one basic descriptor of “apathy” and most all of us would confirm it to be true: it is not an “active” verb and descriptor. Without a philosophical debate, we can say that is it even beyond the fringe of passive. Apathy is relatively unmoving and unmoved. It neither loves nor hates and thus becomes an anathema to those who love and/or hate. Sometimes you will even hear someone passionately engaged on a subject with a person demonstrating apathy toward the same “Just do something about it.” Even walking away, though frustrating to the passionate person, is a sign of action. It is not a sign of agreement or disagreement but one of detachment and being disengaged. Such a person might be described as spiritual null. This is what was found in the riders’ report from the corners of the empire, the far reaches of “the land.” Regardless of the reason for no conflict, there appeared an overwhelming sense of “just doing” without feeling much about it. We would say that people were just going through the motions of living and being alive. It may have been a defense mechanism for fear of raising the ire of someone and facing a conflict of reprisal. True peace is not found in an apathetic environment, culture and climate.

True peace, for the sake of this reflection, is found in the balance of abiding in God’s will which is perfect and good for whosoever will. Of course, we know that Lucifer (aka on earth- Satan, the Devil, Beelzebub, etc.) was in conflict with God. He refused God’s will as perfect for Himself. He projected such refusal and dissatisfaction onto others who in their privilege of freewill made the choice to refuse or accept for themselves who and what to believe. Instead of living into the fullness of life as they were created so to do, they chose a life of perpetual emptiness that could never be filled. This would have been the epitome of a “love-hate” relationship. I cannot imagine that apathy exists in Heaven. Apathy is a fruit of the spirit of sin. Perhaps we would find it as “sloth,” though I believe that a true understanding of sloths would cause us to name it as apathy as that is what it truly is. So, in the list of the seven deadly sins we find: pride, lust, apathy, gluttony, avarice, envy and anger. Is there truly such a sense of peace in this nation, in our own communities and homes and, I dare ask, in the Church whether local or universal? What is the pursuit of God and God’s will being undertaken? I am speaking here of the One True and Holy God, Yahweh Elohim, who is the God of gods before whom there is no other. Are we, as were the Jews in Zechariah’s day, more about survival for themselves to worship passively so as not to draw attention to themselves and thus be in conflict with all other religions? Are we so afraid of being and doing what is right and good (remembering “good” I continue to define as abiding by God’s perfect will and seeking to live in it and live it out fully)? Does that fear anesthetize us, paralyze us and debilitate us so that we are ineffective and voiceless to speak the gospel which is in conflict with the world? Not only to not speak it but to live in conflict with our own assumptive determination to live out the gospel? We devote ourselves to works of compassion and altruism for the body and mind of humanity as if this world is all they have to look forward to. But, is not our greatest purpose to worship, and thus to serve, God in all we say and do? Are we not to glorify and magnify God who so loved us that He would sacrifice His only begotten Son and thus bless the believer in Him as the Christ and Messiah of all with the bounty of eternal life beginning on earth as it is in Heaven? And if we refrain from such expression and compulsion as being disciples of Christ and thus sons and daughters of the Most High God, are we not admitting our lack of integrity to our very creation? Are we not then in conflict and thus not at peace?

Mighty ones, this is where we see the “red horse” and its rider appearing within a peaceful grove of fragrant trees lulling the sojourner into an eternal rest where no rest will exist except by illusion. Let’s talk about that red horse tomorrow. Until then, shalom y’all.

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, before we were conceived in the womb, You had already formed us in Your love and by Your Spirit brought us into being. Each one of us is blessed with the opportunity of doing right, being good and producing the fruit of the Spirit so that others may be fed the truth of that same love so that the two will become one. It is our soul’s sincere desire to embrace the oneness You have in mind that we would know that we are Your people and that You are our God. Lead us in that discovery of the truth and the manifestation of that love for us all. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.