The High, Holy Road of Compassion and Restraint - October 3

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalm 107:33-43, 108:1-6; PM Psalm 33; Hosea 11:1-9; Acts 22:17-29; Luke 6:27-38

The reading from the 11th chapter of Hosea carries the tone and feel of a caring (ideal) parent. What a lovely break from the harsh judgment and imagery we have seen thus far in this book! The people of Israel are not described as lewd or like aimless livestock; rather, they are children. God has a tender and parental countenance while remembering the upbringing of Israel. I imagine sitting on a sofa, nestled close to God, as if a grandparent or beloved aunt or uncle, and listening to the story of my parents when they were children: “I taught Ephraim to walk, I took them up in my arms”; “I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love…I bent down to them and fed them”.

God bends down to be near to us and meet our needs…even lifting us up as infants to God’s own cheek to share closeness and joy. Here, God is approachable and loving, rather than austere and angry. But there is a snag: Israel doesn’t choose to cuddle up close to the Creator. God’s people are “bent on turning away from” the Lord. They don’t know that it is God who has brought them healing and nourishment. They worship other gods. Rather than reflecting the kindness imbued in them, they fight and run amok. Peril is ahead for them, as God anticipates they will return to the captivity of foreign nations like Egypt and Assyria.

Like a parent wrestling with the pain of watching their child plummet into a spiral of destruction from addiction, God says, “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel?” There is a visceral pain of fear. And then, rather than anger, God chooses the high, holy road of compassion and restraint: “I am God and no mortal, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.

The love that God has for Israel (and by extension us) is hard to comprehend. It is deep and complex. This passage from Hosea offers a couple of lessons to me this morning…first, God has a tender, strong love for all of creation, including you and me. No matter the bad deeds or wayward ways, God does not give us up. Secondly, God is extending an invitation to learn from this divine care, so that we may show it to others. How can we temper our anger, avoid coming in wrath when faced with opposition? As Jesus taught in the sermon on the plain, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” I don’t think it is an easy path to follow. And I do believe that as we stumble along the path, God is leading us with cords of human kindness and bands of love.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

When have you responded in anger? How would a response of compassion have changed the dynamic?

When have you been met with kindness when you were expecting wrath?

Daily Challenge

Take a fast from responding in anger. Maybe today isn't the day...but make a plan of how you can take a fast from anger. Choose patience and compassion, and pray for God to prepare your heart for this challenge.