Devotion • June 7
Today’s Scripture Reading
Deuteronomy 13:1–11
If prophets or those who divine by dreams appear among you and promise you omens or portents, and the omens or the portents declared by them take place, and they say, “Let us follow other gods” (whom you have not known) “and let us serve them,” you must not heed the words of those prophets or those who divine by dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you indeed love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. The Lord your God you shall follow, him alone you shall fear, his commandments you shall keep, his voice you shall obey, him you shall serve, and to him you shall hold fast. But those prophets or those who divine by dreams shall be put to death for having spoken treason against the Lord your God — who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery — to turn you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
If anyone secretly entices you — even if it is your brother, your father’s son or your mother’s son, or your own son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your most intimate friend — saying, “Let us go worship other gods,” whom neither you nor your ancestors have known, any of the gods of the peoples that are around you, whether near you or far away from you, from one end of the earth to the other, you must not yield to or heed any such persons. Show them no pity or compassion and do not shield them. But you shall surely kill them; your own hand shall be first against them to execute them, and afterwards the hand of all the people. Stone them to death for trying to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Then all Israel shall hear and be afraid, and never again do any such wickedness. (NRSV)
Reflection
One of the books in my summer reading is Soul Boom by Rainn Wilson in which he discusses the need for a great spiritual awakening to help eliminate the racism, sexism, global warming, drug addictions, and loneliness causing so many problems. Wilson believes that a spiritual awakening would work toward resolving each of these challenges, making individual lives and the world better. He talks about the decline of religion, and we have all heard about people who have stopped going to church these days or have given up on organized religion and say they are just “spiritual.”
Wilson laments that so many people are drifting through life ungrounded, untethered by any spiritual guidance or awareness. They may say they are “spiritual,” but without any intentionality behind that saying, it is all too easy to become lost, not caring about yourself or others, ultimately not caring about the world we live in. This is when so many problems can arise and have arisen in our culture.
This lack of spirituality or religious belief allows too many of us to choose to “follow other gods” as the writer of Deuteronomy puts it. These gods can be portrayed in many ways, not just as Zeus but as realities we all wrestle with each day. A spiritual awakening would help each of us not give credence to or follow these “other gods.” What if we truly saw each other as a child of God, opening ourselves to experiencing a spiritual awakening that could end racism and sexism, thus transforming the world?
We live in a materialistic culture, and obtaining things we need is vital, necessary, and good, but too many of us are driven to get more and more things we don’t even truly need. Materialism becomes a god so many follow, and we become the victims, the makers of these things become victims, and even the earth itself becomes a victim of our desire for more and more.
Letting go of this unhealthy materialism is another way to experience a spiritual awakening, transform ourselves, and bring about a world filled with more justice and peace for all. So many of us are driven by addictions to food, drugs, gambling, etc., and these are what we turn to for comfort and even meaning, thus turning them into gods we follow. These addictions can control and destroy, and letting go of them is also a spiritual awakening. Even loneliness can be addressed by ending our insatiable appetite for social media and screen time, both of which become gods for so many. Cell phones are needed, but a spiritual awakening can occur every time we put that device down and read a book or go for a walk to interact with our neighbors.
We need a spiritual awakening not for God’s sake but for our own sake and for the world’s sake. A good place to experience a spiritual awakening actually is at a church.
Church is a place where we encounter lots of people on a spiritual quest, and we can provide encouragement and positive examples for each other.
Church can also be a hospital for those whose spirits are hurting or need mending.
Church is where we are able to practice being a child of God and seeing others in that light, because it brings an incredibly diverse group of people together.
Church is where we can learn, be uplifted, and be inspired by centuries of art and teachings.
Ultimately, this spiritual awakening, wherever and whenever it occurs is not just for us, but for our neighbor and for the world.
Prayer
Eternal God, help us to love you with all our heart, mind, and soul, and help us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Help us to be spiritually awake for our sake, for the sake of others, and for the sake of the world. Amen.
Written by John W. W. Sherer, Organist and Director of Music
Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church
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