Romans 13:8-14

Year A - Pentecost +13 or Community Practice ¹³

September 7, 2014

Romans 13:8-14

All commandments are summed up in “Love your neighbor as yourself.” In this regard, if you are in the United Methodist tradition you might want to consider supporting a Love Your Neighbor coalition working to transform the world by beginning with transforming The United Methodist Church. Anything you can do to help support this group will be appreciated. (In terms of disclosure, I am working their the legislative arm of Love Your Neighbor).

Love Your Neighbor Campaign

It is very easy to put off engaging differences, particularly where there is no room to move with one or another absolutist positions. Sometimes be clear in one’s affirmations is the only engaging that can be done.

This is not a reason, though, to put off our work. Whether of not others will engage with us, we can still live honorably and affirm where our trust is grounded.

Again, there is a temptation to have to be a holier-than-thou “honoring of self” that sets up its own absolute division into competing dualities (flesh and spirit, for example). If Jesus is incarnational, so are we and dividing Jesus from the manger and feasting and death only divides us from this wonderful Native understanding of Honor. (No, not retributive honor killings reflecting a fragile life, but an expansive and expanding honor to bring forth everyone’s best affirmations).

So, in the time remaining:

Live Honorably

Love Your Neighbor as Yourself