reflecting on the 30th Sunday in ordinary time part 2 - Tues., Oct. 27

Psalm 119:41-48

 Exodus 34:29-35

 James 2:14-26

It is part of our way of live that governments make laws and citizens keep them to a greater or lesser instead. In fact some of us (many of us maybe all of us) try to bend the law slightly to suit our own circumstance.

In our present situation  new laws, or at least government restrictions, are happening all the time and it would seem that many of us have grown tired of trying to live within them and we are always pushing the boundary of what we should do. In short we find that these laws and guidelines limit our freedom. And our freedom is a precious thing.

Our psalm bears testimony to a counter cultural idea: that keeping law, specifically god's law, brings freedom. And we hear of Moses face shining like the sun after he has received the second set of tables in God's presence.

Often, the tricky thing is working out God's command for us. But James gives us a straightforward example: feed your brother or sister. Let us give thanks for all the many people who have been doing just that in recent months and are ready to continue through the winter.