In today's first reading, Dt 6: 4-13, Moses reminds the people of all the good God has done for them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt, "that place of slavery," and giving them "a land with fine, large cities that you did not build, with houses full of goods of all sorts that you did not garner, with cisterns that you did not dig, with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant...[T]herefore," Moses says to them, "take care not to forget the Lord," your God!
What is the good that the Lord has done for us? How many of us are surrounded by cities we did not create, flower and vegetable gardens and fruit trees we did not plant, houses we did not build, lakes and streams and creeks we did not produce and so much more! How many times has God not brought us out of a "place of slavery"--an addiction to jealousy, anger, and/or selfishness; an addiction to food or alcohol or other drugs, an addiction to hoarding material things, an addiction to relationships, to sex, to technological gadgets and on and on and on?
At the end of his admonition, Moses then asks the people to reverence the Lord, their God; "him shall you serve, and by his name shall you swear." Who am I, who are you, serving? By whom do you, do I, swear an oath of service?
No comments:
Post a Comment