Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. — Romans 13:11-12a
Sleep is so comfortable. It’s so hard to wake up sometimes, particularly when we’re under a warm blanket and have a cat (or two) in the bed.
I recently taught a class on the Ten Commandments, looking at the "horizontal" commandments 5-10, the ones that deal with how we treat other people. While preparing for the class, I was struck again by how all of them are basically different, more defined versions of "Love your neighbor as yourself."
We are all made in the image of God, and if we can see that in each other, I think the natural outcome is that we will treat each other--and ourselves--as individuals of value, worthy of care and respect.
I was also struck by the many ways that we (okay, I) DON'T do this. I can get lulled to sleep by my own concerns about my own safety and comfort, and that of my family and friends, that it's easy to forget that there are others who are in need. I can be lulled to sleep by my own busy-ness, my own need to run here and there, to pursue my own interests, that I fail to consider where I might be a light, or a help, to someone who is in darkness.
It's also easy to be lulled to sleep by all of the shiny things outside of ourselves--what to eat, what to buy, where to go, what people think of us, what politician or celebrity said or did what dumb thing today--while our inner spiritual lives grow stunted and inert. We sleepwalk through life while those right in our community are suffering around us--and we also miss out on the intense joy that comes with being wide awake.
Awakening after a long, deep sleep, when we feel comfortable and happy and complete, can be hard. But circumstances are kind of ripping the warm blanket off of us and scattering the cozy pets, aren't they. But they will also make it easier to see the bright dawn that is coming, to know the hope, the joy, the love, and the peace that Jesus gives. And with those things comes an even greater capacity to love others--our family, our friends, even our enemies.
Let's open our eyes and wake up.
Today's photo: My kid, who has learned (from whom, I have no idea) that the presence of a cat on or near one's person in the morning renders one incapable of getting out of bed. This photo was posted with her permission.
Sleep is so comfortable. It’s so hard to wake up sometimes, particularly when we’re under a warm blanket and have a cat (or two) in the bed.
I recently taught a class on the Ten Commandments, looking at the "horizontal" commandments 5-10, the ones that deal with how we treat other people. While preparing for the class, I was struck again by how all of them are basically different, more defined versions of "Love your neighbor as yourself."
We are all made in the image of God, and if we can see that in each other, I think the natural outcome is that we will treat each other--and ourselves--as individuals of value, worthy of care and respect.
I was also struck by the many ways that we (okay, I) DON'T do this. I can get lulled to sleep by my own concerns about my own safety and comfort, and that of my family and friends, that it's easy to forget that there are others who are in need. I can be lulled to sleep by my own busy-ness, my own need to run here and there, to pursue my own interests, that I fail to consider where I might be a light, or a help, to someone who is in darkness.
It's also easy to be lulled to sleep by all of the shiny things outside of ourselves--what to eat, what to buy, where to go, what people think of us, what politician or celebrity said or did what dumb thing today--while our inner spiritual lives grow stunted and inert. We sleepwalk through life while those right in our community are suffering around us--and we also miss out on the intense joy that comes with being wide awake.
Awakening after a long, deep sleep, when we feel comfortable and happy and complete, can be hard. But circumstances are kind of ripping the warm blanket off of us and scattering the cozy pets, aren't they. But they will also make it easier to see the bright dawn that is coming, to know the hope, the joy, the love, and the peace that Jesus gives. And with those things comes an even greater capacity to love others--our family, our friends, even our enemies.
Let's open our eyes and wake up.
Today's photo: My kid, who has learned (from whom, I have no idea) that the presence of a cat on or near one's person in the morning renders one incapable of getting out of bed. This photo was posted with her permission.
Comments
Post a Comment