Uncategorized – The Noontimes

2 Corinthians 4:1-6: Scrupulous Honesty

2 Corinthians 4:1-6: Scrupulous Honesty

Saturday, December 13, 2025

We have renounced shameful, hidden things . . .

Just recently in my workplace we have undergone a quality review by visitors from outside our community and we have been commended for our integrity. This comes at no small cost. It takes scrupulous honesty to peel away the sham and artifice in order to allow the gentle truth to emerge. This kind of deep and searching honesty is frequently an unwelcome guest of the heart. We shrink from repentance; we do not want to change. We prefer the walls we have constructed that block out any fear that might cause us to change for the better. We must move away from all hidden agendas and come into the light.

We have not acted deceitfully or falsified the word of God . . .

Just recently in my family we have suffered a soul-shattering loss and we continue to struggle with ourselves and with one another. Truths must be pronounced but gently, kindly, mercifully. The enormity of our grief might cause us to hide, or it may impel us to strike out at one another. It is possible to nurse sad feelings or harbor grief; we may possibly ignore the growth that our suffering offers. Or we might grow in wisdom as we allow the Spirit to open and heal us. We might allow our divinity to teach us about our humanity. In order to find union with God and mend our broken spirit, we must remove ourselves from deceit and we must allow God’s truth to guide us. And we must do this lovingly, gratefully.

By the open declaration of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God . . .

As humans we tend to think that we exist in isolation. The skin that contains our organs prevents us from physically occupying the space someone else holds. We live in the illusion that we can hide from one another. We allow small lies to color our stories, our perspectives and our opinions. We forget that all that we are and all that we do are of and from God. We live in the illusion that we create ourselves when the scrupulous truth is that we are co-creators of life with God. When we move away from sham and artifice we can see all of this more clearly. And when we spend time with God to sort through our sorrows, we become less frightened, less egocentric. We become more loving, more vulnerable. We become the promise God has hoped for us.

We do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord . . . and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus.

When we spend time worrying about ourselves and not others we have the wrong end of the stick. God creates us to serve one another rather than be served. God wants us to tend to one another rather than to be tended. We are created to advocate for others, not to hide from, lie to, deceive or trample others. When we become slaves for the sake of Christ Jesus we begin to fulfill our potential. We prepare ourselves in the best way possible for our union with God.

For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of Jesus Christ.

We are created to make known God’s goodness to others, and it is our scrupulous honesty that opens us to God’s light. It is in this way that we become a fearless, grateful, authentic revelation of God’s love.

A re-post from November 18, 2011.

For information on the importance of honesty, click on the image or visit: https://charityforchange.org/honesty-is-a-skill-vital-to-a-childs-development/

December 13, 2025

integrity, honesty, suffering, loss, truth, vulnerability, Jesus, pain, light in the darkness

1 John 4: The Spirit of Truth

1 John 4: The Spirit of Truth

Friday, December 12, 2025

Casting out fear, recognizing the anti-Christ, remembering that we are God’s little children, loving because we are first loved by God. John, Peter and Paul all try to convey to the faithful the importance of remembering Jesus’ message that we follow those who live in the Spirit rather than against it. They warn Christ’s flock about the cleverness of the darkness; they tell us that our journey through a life of narrow gates will be a refining experience that will sharpen our perception so that we better discern real truth from falsehood and deception.

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12)

Peter, the foundation on which Christ builds his Church on earth, describes the subtle way that darkness will intrude on our thinking, and he reminds us of the surety of the consequences for succumbing to that darkness.

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them – bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. (2 Peter 2:1-3)

Paul tells the Thessalonians – and us – that we must stay away from even the fringes of evil; its power to deceive it is far too potent for us to combat. Iniquity often disguises itself as goodness and we may be taken in and taken over before we even recognize that something ugly has dressed itself up as a radiant goodness. Paul tells us to . . .

Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.(1 Thessalonians 5:21-24)

Today we spend time with the Beloved Apostle as he too warns us that our faith is a powerful guardian against malevolence. In his beautiful letters that describe the ineffable experience he has as Christ’s companion, John calls us to a faith in God that will overcome the dark enemy . . . for whatever is born of God conquers the world. John writes these things to us who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that we may that we have eternal life. And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the request made of him.

This is the spirit of truth we are asked to seek and identify.

This is the Spirit of truth we are called to follow.

This is the Spirit of Truth we are invited to live.

May we answer this call, this invitation, this voice of God. And may we follow this voice willingly for it brings us to our only sanctuary against the false teachers who roam the world dressed up in glorious garments that have the appearance of goodness and light, but which are in reality woven of the glittering deceit of dishonesty and fraud.

A re-post from November 17, 2011.

Image from: https://catholictt.org/2024/05/19/sunday-may-19th-the-spirit-of-truth/

December 12, 2025

1 Thessalonians 5:21-24, 2 Peter 2:1-3, deceit, false prophets, fraud, God is love, idols, James 1:12, sham

Mark 12:1-12: Wicked Tenants and Temple Authorities

Mark 12:1-12: Wicked Tenants and Temple Authorities

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

We will find this same story again in Matthew 21 (vv. 33-45) and in Luke 20 (vv. 10-19). This triple telling is likely an indication that Jesus told this story more than once and that Jesus struck home with his words. Yesterday’s Noontime asked us to reflect on our stewardship of the gifts God has given to us. Today we are reminded that our hard work will likely go unrecognized by those around us, but this will not matter since it is God’s recognition that matters in the end. We are also reminded that we can expect our own company of wicked tenants and temple authorities just as Jesus did in his journey to Jerusalem and his final act of sacrifice.

“The parable of the wicked vineyard tenants forms the centerpiece of the Jerusalem ministry. As an original parable of Jesus, it could express the constant reaching out by the long-suffering God for human response in the face of continued rejection . . . Mark locates this allegory of the rejection of Jesus by the Temple authorities at that point in the Gospel where Jesus, in conflict with Jewish authorities, is pointing to the emergence of the Christian community (the house that will be built on the cornerstone) . . . At the end of the parable, [Jesus’] questioners . . . perceive that the parable is directed against them”. (Mays 916)

The world is full of “wicked tenants” who envy the good works they see others performing; and the world has many “temple authorities” who seek to control each breath others take. We will not want to be caught up in the perverse envy and vicious greed we see in this story Jesus tells us so well; rather, we will want to prepare ourselves for the newness that is born out of the pain of rejection, for the hope Jesus brings out of the heartache of denial. While our eyes are riveted on the loss of the vineyard, the death of loyal servants and a faithful son, Jesus focuses on the new disciples who will answer his call. And on the new life of a promising community.

We ought not fear the wicked tenants and temple authorities we encounter every day. Instead, let us rejoice that we nestle side by side with a cornerstone that has been rejected for it is this rejection that we find a most meaningful life – a life promised by God, a life nurtured by the Spirit, a life shown to us by our brother, Jesus.

A re-post from November 15, 2011.

Images from: http://pastorgregumc.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/got-milk-1-peter-22-10/

Mays, James L., ed. HARPERCOLLINS BIBLE COMMENTARY. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1988. 1203. Print.

December 10, 2025

discipleship, Jesus as Rejected Cornerstone, Luke 20:10-19, Matthew 21: 33-45

Jeremiah 31:7-14: None Shall Stumble

Jeremiah 31:7-14: None Shall Stumble

Sunday, December 7, 2025

Jeremiah encourages the faithful to keep eyes fixed on God, to remember that God is both the source and goal of our being. Our journey here on earth is one of working in the vineyards of the Kingdom, of witnessing to injustices committed against the marginalized, and of waiting on God’s plan in God’s time. Jeremiah tells us that the faithful are guarded and led out of exile. He reminds us that the remnant that was scattered is gathered up in hope and loved with passion. The blind and the lame, mothers and those with child, those who departed in tears . . . all departed in sorrow will return in an immense throng . . . and none shall stumble. This is the best kind of news we can hope to hear.

The daily drone of life wears down our defense against pain. The monotony of waking each morning to hope endlessly in a better day saps our resources. The aridity of the desert dries up the wells we frequent for refreshment. The oases are further apart; our rest stops do not sustain us as they once had. We have difficulty celebrating the good news we know is upon us, and it is difficult for us to believe that none shall stumble.

When the life we have arranged for ourselves fails us we have two options: we can turn away from the pain of our suffering, or we can turn toward our grief where God waits to sweep us into waiting arms.

Richard Rohr has something to tell us about this in his book Job and the Mystery of Suffering: Spiritual Reflections (pages 54-55).

“We must go through the stages of feeling, not only in the last death of anything but also in all the earlier little deaths. If we abort these emotional stages by easy answers, all they do is take a deeper form of disguise and come out in another way. So many people learn that the hard way—by getting ulcers, by all kinds of psychosomatic diseases, depression, chronic irritability, and misdirected anger—because they refuse to let their emotions run their course, honor them consciously, or find some appropriate place to share them.

“Emotions are not right or wrong, good or bad. They are merely indicators of what is happening, and must be listened to, usually in the body. People who do not feel deeply finally do not know or love deeply either. It is the price we pay for loving. Like Job we must be willing to feel our emotions and come to grips with the mystery in our head, our heart, and our body. To be honest, that takes years”.

We live in a world of instant replay, quick solutions, smiling gurus, and impatience with suffering. Jeremiah speaks to the faithful who understand that living well is not about covering over or covering up but of delving deep and allowing the fiery furnace of pain to refine us as we witness, work and wait. Job understands the intensity of suffering innocently. Rohr tells us that our pain is not a punishment but an acknowledgement of our eagerness to be one with God. We know that the journey is long and steep. We know that our yearning for God means that we are remnant. And we know that with God . . . none of the faithful shall stumble.

A re-post from November 12, 2011.

Foe thoughts on suffering, click on the image or visit: https://foundation.mycatholicdoctor.com/why-does-god-allow-suffering/

December 7, 2025

God as both source and goal, Job, remnant, reward, Richard Rohr, suffering, union with God, witness-watch-work-wait

Psalm 79: War

Psalm 79: War

Saturday, December 6, 2025

A re-post from November 11, 2011.

Today is Veteran’s Day and the birthday of my littlest granddaughter who lost her sister a few short weeks ago. I read this Psalm and think of death as we understand it – the loss of one we love – and I wonder . . .

Help us, O God, our Savior . . .

Today is also the feast day of St. Martin of Tours, a soldier who converted to Christianity and gave up the world of physical violence to enter into a spiritual life that in many ways looks much like war. As St. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12-13: Our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. From the MAGNIFICAT Mini-reflection: Saint Martin translated his long military career into a campaign of spiritual warfare against the paganism and the temptations to worldly wealth which threatened the people of the Church he served as monk and bishop. I think of evil spirits in the heavens, and warfare and death and St. Martin and I wonder . . .

May your mercy come quickly to meet us for we are in desperate need . . .

Paul writes to the Corinthians and to us in today’s Morning Prayer: The weapons of our battle are not of flesh but are enormously powerful, capable of destroying fortresses. (2 Corinthians 10:4) I think about how we may not recognize our own paganism, our own violence, our own falling away from God, and I wonder . . .

Help us, O God, our Savior . . .

Good women and men step forward when times are dark. God never leaves our side when circumstances extinguish hope. I think about warfare of all kinds and I wonder . . .

May your mercy come quickly to meet us for we are in desperate need . . .

I call upon the God who suffers with us, who abides with us, and who heals all wounds and violations shot through the faithful by the pagans who invade their inheritance, who breach the temple gates and defile holy places, and I wonder . . .

Help us, O God, our Savior . . .

Images from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raising_the_Flag_on_Iwo_Jima and https://demons.swallowthesky.org/post/2110117800

Cameron, Peter John, Rev., ed. “Mini-Reflection.” MAGNIFICAT. 11 November 2011: 145. Print.

December 6, 2025

2 Corinthians 10:4, Ephesians 6:12-13, evil spirits, God saves, Saint Martin of Tours

Esther 1: The Race of the Just

Esther 1: The Race of the Just

Thursday, November 13, 2025

*Aert de Gelder (after): Esther and Mordecai*

Like Mordecai, the faithful will have a sense of impending doom. Like Mordecai, they will discover plots against power. Like Mordecai, the just are rewarded for their fidelity and courage. It will be this very reward that puts them in danger; yet they be saved from destruction, tribulation and distress. And there will always be Haman lurking behind the curtain hoping to destroy the just. When we act in and for God, we must anticipate jealousy and envy. And we must rely on God alone to save us from annihilation.

Mordecai receives information in a dream and although he trusts this information he does not understand its deeper meaning and its long-range implication. And so he kept it mind, and tried in every way, until night, to understand its meaning. I am wondering how much energy we put into understanding a message we receive darkly. I am thinking that Mordecai shows us how to remain in and with God despite intense, justified fear.

Yesterday’s Gospel also has something to teach us about fear and the race of the just. Jesus sends out seventy-two of his disciples and instructs them: The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so . . . go on your way: behold, I am sending you like lambs among the wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, say first, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.” (Luke 10:1-9)

Jesus also sends us into the fields as laborers. We are also sheep among wolves as was Mordecai. I believe that we cannot stop evil, but I also believe that when we remain in and with God, we are protected in God’s strength and guided out of harm’s way. We are loved beyond measure and we must learn to trust this love. We must learn to give over to God the clawing fear that grabs at us when we feel alone in a hostile world. We must remember to lay our turmoil in God’s capable hands when there is tribulation and distress, evil and great confusion. We must carry our burdens – whether they be light or heavy, small or great – to the one who knows all and to the only one who can confront and even annihilate evil.

The psalmist says in Psalm 27: The Lord is my light and my help; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; before whom shall I shrink? When evil-doers draw near to devour my flesh, it is they, my enemies and foes, who stumble and fall. Though an enemy encamp against me even then would I trust. It is your face, O Lord, I seek; hide not your face . . .

God has shown us his face, and it is the face of Jesus.

God has rescued his people, and he abides among them.

God has brought us into his eternal Spirit, and he dwells within us.

The race of the just will always be saved. Let us gather ourselves – we the lambs among wolves – and go quickly and surely to the only sanctuary there is that can withstand the darkness of evil. Let us run to greet the newness we are granted by the one who loves us so well. Let us find refuge in the power and presence of the one who will always save the race of the just.

A re-post from October 19, 2011.

Image from: http://bibletodaykids.com/Esther.html

November 13, 2025

Esther, Luke 10:1-9, Mordecai, Psalm 27, rescue, trust

Jeremiah 39:1-14: Remaining Among the People

Jeremiah 39:1-14: Remaining Among the People

Monday, November 10, 2025

alfred_soord_lost_sheep_scan[1] — *Soord: Lost Sheep*

We have read about Jeremiah in the dungeon (Chapter 37) and Jeremiah in the miry cistern (Chapter 38); now we read about his capture and that he remained among the people. Just yesterday I spoke with a friend about her reluctance to do something that would cause her great pain. I said that rather than focus on the suffering that an experience was bound to bring her, she might just want to focus on tending to God’s lost sheep. This was something she said she could do. I had heard the Jeremiah in her anticipate the lack of understanding she was about to meet. I heard her fear of her own unpredictable emotions rising. We spoke about patience, persistence and witnessing. And we spoke about how we cannot control people or events, of how we can barely sometimes control ourselves. Life brings us these difficult lessons to learn. Life also brings us unmeasurable reward, if we only learn to remain among the people.

Yesterday’s Gospel reminded us of something we may want to carry with us everywhere and it is this: When we are fearful of something we must do we are likely relying on ourselves too much. And we are likely forgetting to rely on God. Jesus tells his disciples in Luke 12:8-12 that we need not worry about our circumstances – even when they are dire – if we remain in him, in God. When we allow the Spirit to direct us, we cannot fail. When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at the moment what you should say. Jesus may be remembering the words from Isaiah 30:21: From behind, a voice will sound in your ears: “This is the way; walk in it,” when you would turn to the right or to the left. Both the Old and New Testament remind us that when we live in the Spirit, we cannot falter. When we remain with God’s people, we will not go wrong. When we follow Christ, we may suffer but we will never be lost.

We are often reminded to witness, watch and wait on the Lord and so we pray from Psalm 5 in today’s MAGNIFICAT Morning Prayer: It is you whom I invoke, O Lord. In the morning you hear me; in the morning I offer you my prayer, watching and waiting. You are no God who loves evil; no sinner is your guest. The boastful shall not stand their ground before your face. But I through the greatness of your love have access to your house. I bow down before your holy temple, filled with awe. All those you protect shall be glad and ring out their joy. You shelter them; in you they rejoice, those who knew your name. It is you who bless the just one, Lord: you surround the just one as with a shield.

I asked my friend to see herself as a shepherd who gathers lambs to bring them into the fold at night. I asked that she put all her worry into prayer. And I asked that she rely on God to bring goodness out of harm.

In the end, Jesus reminds us, God is all there is. In the end, we do not want to wait on anyone or anything else. In the end, all that is asked of us is that we witness, watch and wait. Rather than succumb to the familiar fears that govern us poorly and use us badly, we will want to remember to gather ourselves and to gather lost sheep even as we remain among God’s people. For it is in, and of and through Christ that we are saved and brought back to God. It is in, and of and through the Spirit that we are consoled. And it is in, and of and through God that we are made whole. And in the end – when we can manage to remain with God’s people – we remember well that . . . God is all there is.

Cameron, Peter John. “Prayer for the Morning.” MAGNIFICAT. 16.10 (2011): 239. Print.

A re-post from October 16, 2011.

Image from: https://www.umcnic.org/news/bishops-column-shepherding-on-the-edge

November 10, 2025

God is all, Isaiah 30:21, lost sheep, Luke 12:8-12, patience, persistence, Psalm 5, Trinity, witness-watch-wait

Galatians 2:15-21: God’s Mercy

Galatians 2:15-21: God’s Mercy

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Paul’s argument in this letter is that a man does not have to submit himself to circumcision in order to follow Christ; Christ is the fulfillment of the old law and is therefore not subject to it. Christ is, in fact, its full human embodiment. How silly we are, Paul says, to believe that The Law is more important than Christ – God’s presence among us, as one of us. In Paul’s view the Galatians have missed the big picture. We are saved by Christ and not the Law.

We have spent time reflecting on this in a number of our Noontimes, thinking about how we are frequently caught up in following the letter of the law and completely missing its intended purpose. Neglecting the spirit of the law in order to adhere to the permutations we have created with it is a stumbling block to living a life of justification or salvation. In short, we are missing the forest by focusing on the trees.

We worry about the future and fret over the past. We are anxious about people and plans in the weeks and months to come; we harbor anger and guilt about offenses we or others have committed long years ago. We carry all of this weighty negativity with us and stagger through the present – missing the joy that God has posted along the way for us. We seem intent on suffering, and doing it badly.

In a letter to Titus, Paul writes: When the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the holy Spirit, who he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7)

With the letter of the law, we can become hyper-vigilant, struggling to maintain a safe distance from even the suggestion that we may break an order.

With the spirit of the law, we are free to explore new ways of serving God, free to express our emotions and to dialog with our creator.

With the Law, there is an immutable permanence and state of stasis that can deaden the soul.

With the Spirit, there is limitless compassion that heals, soothes, restores and replenishes the soul.

When we are intent on following the rules there is a paring down that takes place, a closing off of possibility, a temptation to finagle and maneuver.

When we are intent on following God, there is an opening up, a flourishing, a limitless opportunity for new beginnings.

With rules, we count our near occasions of sin and the number of times we have failed.

With God, we look for occasions to serve and opportunities to follow Jesus.

When we find ourselves looking for loopholes and excuses, we know we have strayed too far from Christ. When we hear ourselves walking fine lines and arguing small points, we know we have wandered too far from the creator. When we see ourselves safely hidden in our comfort zone fortresses rather than stepping into the unknown to witness and build up the Kingdom, we know that we have somehow forgotten that we are well-loved and ever-protected.

Paul speaks to the Galatians and he speaks to us, encouraging each of us to step into our lives with full confidence and gentle fearlessness. He urges us to be led by the Spirit rather than be stifled by the law. And he reminds us that God welcomes the sinner eagerly for God has endless and abundant mercy.

A re-post from September 19, 2011.

Images from: https://schechter.edu/is-it-permissible-to-practice-reading-the-torah-from-a-torah-scroll-rabbi-prof-david-golinkin/ and http://www.turnbacktogod.com/holy-spirit-pics-medium-sized-images/

October 14, 2025

anxiety, faith, future, guilt, hope, justification, love, past, present, rebirth, renewal, salvation, The Letter of the Law versus the Spirit, Titus 3:4-7

James 4: Puffs of Smoke

James 4: Puffs of Smoke

Monday, October 13, 2025

Throughout his letter, James reminds us that we must be doers of the word and not sayers only. In Chapter 4 he focuses us on the habits we have nurtured that contribute to our divisions, habits of the heart and mind that create division, habits of the soul that separate us from God.

Where do the wars and conflicts among you come from? . . . Do you not know that to be a lover of the world means enmity with God?

God wishes happiness for all his creatures; God does not wish that some of us do well while others starve. James points out that it is our own selfishness and greed that cause us to build the barriers that separate us. Humility, he says, is the only remedy. We must submit our will to God’s and resist the demon world that whispers in our ear to tell us that we are more special than others.

Do not speak evil of one another. Whoever speaks evil of a brother or judges a brother speaks evil of the law and judges the law. If you judge the law you are not a doer of the law but a judge . . . Who are you to judge your neighbor?

When we gossip with one another and slander others we become incapable judges; and the only true and gifted judge is God. James does not speak here of a judicial system that oversees criminal cases and administers appropriate consequences; rather, James speaks of a world in which humble servants acknowledge God’s power and generosity. James knows – and once we put away our ego we will also come to know – that God’s plan for justice is far too complicated for humans to fully comprehend. God’s plan converts sinners, it waits on the last of the sheep, it allows the weeds to grow up with the harvest, it calls the high and powerful to serve the low and powerless, it turns all harm into goodness. This is a plan that we cannot out-maneuver. It is a plan that we cannot ignore. It is a plan that will be in force forever – even until the end of time.

You have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow. You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears.

I spoke with a friend this morning who is recovering from brain surgery – he and his family are hopeful. I spoke to another just before Mass whose husband has lung cancer. “Three weeks ago our lives were normal,” she said. “Now we spend every day at the hospital. They know our first names.” I met a complete stranger as I came out of the store after Mass. He noticed I was carrying milk. I noticed that he was driving an historic car. When I complemented him on its beautiful restoration he said, “Yeah, I spent three years of my life on this and then my wife got sick. A few months later she was gone. Just like that. I don’t know what I’m gonna do.” We smiled and spoke kind words to one another before parting ways.

We have no idea what our life will be like tomorrow. We are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears.

James urges us to cease our bickering; he asks that we put an end to petty divisions. He recommends that we put aside gossip and false speech; he advises that we go to God in humility.

James reminds us that we are mere wisps of vapor and that without God we are less than nothing. He tells us that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

James tells us that all we need do is live our lives as doers of the word and not sayers only. James asks us to cease judging and gossiping; he asks that we humble ourselves to take the last seat at the table rather than the first. James reminds us that as tiny wisps of ash rising on the drifting wind we do not have the capacity to judge as God does.

So rather than throw our lives away on pointless living and selfish habits, let us rise like incense from the altar of our lives to be taken into the arms of a God who loves us relentlessly. For once we humble ourselves to join others who rise in like unison, we will find that we have been gathered together in God’s loving arms to become far more than mere puffs of smoke.

Images from: http://www.ursulinesjesus.org/ and http://anglicansablaze.blogspot.com/ and https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/smoke-rising/14

A re-post from September 18, 2011.

October 13, 2025

conflict, God’s plan, gossip, humility, justice, love, selfishness, slander

Category: Uncategorized

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