Sunday, February 9, 2014
Isaiah 58:1–9a
The prophet Isaiah lays out what God wants of the creatures made in God’s own image. God does not want self-deprivation. God does not want self-flagellation. God does not want us to suffer for the sake of suffering. God created us in love and wants us to live life to the fullest, knowing joy and communion and fulfillment. This means neither parading our piety nor celebrating hardships in service to a misreading of God’s commands. What God wants is for us to live out the image of God in which we are made, to live in a way that reflects God’s love and justice.
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