ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
July 20, 2021
Scripture: Zechariah 7:8-11
The word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying: Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another. But they refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears in order not to hear.
Thought for the Day: In the words following these verses, the prophet paints a vivid picture of what happens when a nation ignores the call to grace and compassion. A desolate and broken society is left in the wake of injustice toward the weak and the marginalized. The cause is not God. Instead, it is the power of an unjust and an unfaithful people who undermine the fabric of a society. Our world needs to hear these words, but instead of speaking in vague terms, we need to look around and see where such things are happening…where the poor, the widow, the alien and the orphan are being forgotten.
Prayer: O God whose love is like that of a parent, continue to expand my capacity for compassion in what can often be a selfish world. Amen.
