Georgia-Cumberland Academy Church

Such a great service today.

Jonah Story for Today

Friday devotional: I’m deeply saddened by the events on January 6. While highly polarized politics and elections have been normalized over time, the assault on our federal institutions, by the extreme actions of those who stormed the Capitol Building, is not what we expect to see in our country. Acts of violence and hate have no place in our elections. It’s hard to predict what happens next but hopefully lessons will be learned, and healing will take place. ... These times can be discouraging because, while we observe brokenness of our government, the reality is we have little control over what takes place. In moments like this I find it useful to take a step back from the macro lens and focus on where I can make an impact interactions in my own life. Take some time to think about the areas of concern raised by the events of this week, and focus on how to address them in your personal life. Empathy: I believe a lack of empathy has contributed to our current state. We moved into political silospeople from opposing parties stopped listening to each other. Ask yourself: How am I listening to people? How am I trying to understand their pain? Do I try to understand people who think differently than me? Racism: One of the most troubling aspects of Wednesday’s events was the stark contrast between how a predominantly white crowd was treated when compared with a predominantly black or brown crowd. Ask yourself: Has racism crept into my heart? What implicit biases do I have? What can I do to push back against my biases and grow as a person? Truth: It seems we are living in a post-truth culture. People tend to believe whatever supports their worldview and their political party. Ask yourself: How do I relate to truth? Am I actively seeking the truth? Am I routinely exploring new ideas? Do I participate in falsehoods by disseminating information before I know it’s true? Am I willing to embrace truths that either challenge my worldview and/or challenge me personally? When I learn a new truth, do I allow it to challenge change the way I live? Love: It’s obvious the world needs more love. This shouldn’t surprise us seeing that Jesus said the love of many will grow cold near the end of time. However, He also says that people will know His disciples by their love. Ask yourself: How am I loving others? More specifically, am I loving people who disagree with me? In the end, what we are most responsible for is how we choose to live our own lives. Our decisions, our words, and our interactions with our world, are not inconsequential. The choices we make collectively have the power to change the world. Live in a way that makes this world a better place. -DS

Christmas in the book of Ruth