by Renae Bauer
What are we to learn from Sunday’s parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in the temple? Sure, the Pharisee was wrong to judge those around him, but let’s consider the tax collector and his prayer: “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” The tax collector acknowledged his need for God, whereas the Pharisee thought about himself.
How can you and I acknowledge our need for God each and every day?
"How can you and I acknowledge our need for God each and every day?"
During these times of so much unnecessary suffering caused to others by so much lack of common decency, the lack of conscience -- the lack of basic awareness and CONSCIOUSNES of how WE ARE EACH AND ALL HUMAN BEINGS living on ONE PLANET, ONE HOME -- I think we need a SURGE of RENEWAL in "how" we interpret and discern the Scriptures.
We need a "NEW" kind of OPEN MIND. A "NEW" kind of OPEN HEART.
"Something" has definitely been 'missing,' or we've been deprived of "HEARING" the MESSAGE as JESUS really wanted us to understand it -- especially that WE ARE EACH AND ALL CREATED BY GOD, SOURCE of ALL, with the PURPOSE and INTENT to "LOVE GOD" and "LOVE OTHERS" and to REVERENCE EARTH as Our "LIVING HOME."
All the judgmental-ism, discrimination, prejudice, racism, sexism, authoritarianism, legalism, materialism -- all that has "crept in" without being boldly denounced as UNholy -- has caused each and all of us to become "dull" in the things that really matter.
We really are in need of a SPIRITUAL RENEWAL that inspires us to INTEGRATE the HOLY SPIRIT into our very ordinary, every day lives --- and that also em-BOLDens us and en-COURAGEs us to SPEAK and ACT with the Creative and Healing ("Whole-ing") POWER, LOVE, and LIFE the HOLY SPIRIT has given us.
God protects us from what we don't know and helps us get through the tough things we do know.
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I appreciate these visual reflections. Thanks!