In the pristine garden of Eden, God placed humanity, not as conquerors or exploiters, but as stewards, entrusted with the responsibility to work it and take care of it (Gen 2:15). This mandate, issued at the dawn of creation, reminds us that our relationship with the Earth is not one of exploitation but of partnership. We are called to cultivate and nurture, to protect and preserve the delicate balance of life that God has woven into the fabric of the planet.
How do we more fully live out the kingdom of God here and now? Many of us long for a world without suffering, where creation lives in harmony. While we may not be able to change everything at once, we can begin embodying kingdom values in our daily lives, including in our diet and view of other species.
Our families are the closest neighbors we have, and the interactions we share within our homes form the foundation of our ability to extend love, justice, and restoration into the wider world. Loving your family members can sometimes be uniquely challenging. The very intimacy that makes family so special can also make us more prone to wounding one another.
As we actively cultivate the fruits of the Spirit, we find ourselves increasingly capable of a deeper, more meaningful love for God and others, a love that transforms our lives and relationships.
In its original meaning, righteousness meant a right relationship with the covenant of God that led to loving others as oneself and doing good in order to lead others into the same right relationship with God.
In both personal and business relationships, the goal should be to find partners who share a similar vision and values. This alignment ensures that partners are moving towards the same destination. Jesus emphasized the importance of unity and common purpose in His teachings.
Focusing solely on outward actions misses the true nature of sin. We can meticulously follow rules and regulations, but if our hearts remain unchanged, we’re merely masking the problem, not addressing its root cause. This is why Jesus condemned the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. They were obsessed with external purity while neglecting the inner state of their hearts.
Genuine faith is not about blind obedience or adherence to dogma. It’s about a personal encounter with the divine, a continuous journey of discovery and deepening relationship with God. It’s about allowing our hearts and minds to be transformed by the love and grace that flows from the source of all being.
The purpose of emphasizing a broader understanding of sin is not to condemn or overwhelm us with guilt. It’s to remind us we all need God’s grace and a humble heart. Sin is like a disease that affects our hearts and minds, distorting our perceptions and hindering our ability to love others as God loves us.
If God is genuinely transforming our lives, if our values and actions are shifting because of our faith, shouldn’t that be something worth talking about? I’m not talking about those awkward door-to-door pairs in matching outfits, forcefully shoving their beliefs down your throat (yeah, that’s a hard pass).