Friday, June 14: Leviticus 19– Treating others well…

On a recent trip I met a fascinating fellow, among his myriad of stories, he told about his son who attended a Quaker boarding school. According to this fellow, the boarding school day began with an hour each morning where the community met together and talked.  A person might share a unique experience that happened the day before (maybe in the last week, but since they did this every day, most sharing was fresh and recent). The students and faculty might discuss something that happened within the school the previous day. People would also work out differences that surfaced with one another during these times. Essentially the first hour of each day was set aside for keeping ‘short accounts’ and sharing the joys, hurts and experiences of life with one another.
This non-Quaker, non-Christian father was quite impressed with the harmony, connectedness and love that this school modeled starting each day like this.
Living together in community or as a people is difficult. Even well intentioned people ruffle the feathers of others who think differently, throw in selfishness and sin…and well… read the newspapers and see what kinds of things happen.
God’s intention was that we live in community, and God set some rules for living, which governed the way people should act toward others. I found myself pondering some of the interpersonal rules we find in today’s chapter.
Do not go about spreading slander among your people (16a). Speak truthfully about one another. Imagine if our daily news, spoke respectfully about others even when the viewpoints being expressed differed with others!
Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life (16b). Wow, that is pretty far reaching!  If only we could live that way.
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people (18a). Imagine in our families if we could live without bearing grudges. Maybe that Quaker school was on to something, giving the first hour of the day to repairing tears in relationships and sharing the experiences of life.
And so my thoughts went as I read and meditated on some of the laws the Lord gave Israel
Lord God, how can I live more in tune with the manner of life that you present to us? Your opening words were to “be holy because You are holy.” I am so far from being holy. Forgive me for entertaining sin-filled thoughts and for living selfishly. Open my heart to the ongoing work of Your Holy Spirit. Cleanse me that I might be clean; wash me that I might be whiter than snow.

Fill me with Your love and compassion, Oh, Jesus, so that others might see You through the way I live and the manner of life I lead. I pray this in the name of my triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

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