- Feb 5, 2002
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A Facebook Friend asked for people to share their favorite verse from the Bible. I don’t think I have one, but a verse popped into my mind: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
It’s there in the second chapter of the Book of Genesis. I am far from the first to suggest this, but it does seem to capture Man: You are made of dirt, and you’ve been filled with the spirit of God.
I need to be reminded of both of these from time to time. Especially the second, because it applies to other people just as much as to me, and other people sometimes look like they’re filled with another spirit.
The Reminders
To be reminded of the first, I go with some friends of mine to an Ash Wednesday service at Our Lady of Lourdes. I’m a Methodist, but I appreciate that service. Especially when the priest marks your forehead with a cross made of ashes and says, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return.” They meet at Oh dark thirty, and that is a time when you are very receptive to the dirt message.
There are times, however, when I need to be reminded of the second. This need comes from two different directions. I need to know that I have been filled with the spirit of God, and I need to be reminded that you have been filled with the spirit of God.
This is all part of the deal. I am supposed to love you. Regardless.
“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Here Jesus was quoting ancient Jewish teaching. In the Sermon on the Mount he pushes it further: “ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
Continued below.
Genesis's Guide to Dealing With Hateful People | The Stream
It’s there in the second chapter of the Book of Genesis. I am far from the first to suggest this, but it does seem to capture Man: You are made of dirt, and you’ve been filled with the spirit of God.
I need to be reminded of both of these from time to time. Especially the second, because it applies to other people just as much as to me, and other people sometimes look like they’re filled with another spirit.
The Reminders
To be reminded of the first, I go with some friends of mine to an Ash Wednesday service at Our Lady of Lourdes. I’m a Methodist, but I appreciate that service. Especially when the priest marks your forehead with a cross made of ashes and says, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return.” They meet at Oh dark thirty, and that is a time when you are very receptive to the dirt message.
There are times, however, when I need to be reminded of the second. This need comes from two different directions. I need to know that I have been filled with the spirit of God, and I need to be reminded that you have been filled with the spirit of God.
This is all part of the deal. I am supposed to love you. Regardless.
“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Here Jesus was quoting ancient Jewish teaching. In the Sermon on the Mount he pushes it further: “ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
Continued below.
Genesis's Guide to Dealing With Hateful People | The Stream
