May 22

A religion of relationships

            I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon. Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Amos 5:21-24

God is mad at the Israelites.  Their society is filled to overflowing with corruption and greed and depravity.  They abuse the poor and defenseless and then host big religious services to ease their consciences through offering extravagant gifts and sacrifices to God.  The people claim to worship God and point to their religious experiences as proof.  But worship is not what you do at church; it is how you live your life during the rest of the week.  Our actions display who we follow…they are the evidence of who we believe and have committed ourselves to.

Justice and Righteousness are to flow like life-sustaining waters.  Justice is a right relationship with other people.  Righteousness is a right relationship with God.  We are to treat others with the respect and the honor and the tenderness that befits wounded children of the King.  We are to humble and submit ourselves to the Lord as He is our God and we are His people.  Justice and Righteousness.

It strikes me over and over and over again that following Jesus is primarily about relationships.  Church services are good.  Tithing is good.  Random acts of kindness are good.  But at the heart of Christianity lies relationships.  Our relationship with God and our relationships with others.  This makes me supremely uncomfortable as relationships are not my strength.  Need organization or administration?  I’m on it.  Need something planned or some grunt labor?  Let’s go.  Want to build a friendship that is not centered around achieving anything but instead spending time together and enjoying each other?  So much discomfort.

IDD parents often lose their friends.  Outside relationships just seem like luxuries that we cannot afford with the demands of home weighing so heavily upon us.  Even the best laid plans are often discarded.  And what happens in our relationships with people is often reflected in our relationship with God.  Quiet times are postponed.  We fall asleep while reading scripture.  Prayer becomes something that we can multi-task while cleaning the house or the child.  It is easy to drift into isolation.

Let us not settle.  Let us not simply accept that we are destined to be alone and unknown.  When we go to church, let us not simply accept that it is a room full of strangers who only know us as the parent of that kid.  Strive for more.  Aim higher and invite people into your life.  Be willing to share your burdens and take on those of other people.  Find people who can pray with you and study scripture with you and support you as you navigate the rough waters of parenting.

We were meant to be in right relationships with other people.  We were meant to be in a right relationship with God.  There are no substitutes for either of those and we tend to need others to help us get there.  The natural path of our lives take us towards isolation.  There is a better life out there for us.

A moment to reflect:

How could you move more into right relationships this week?