Rewriting History

Scripture:

Psa. 8:3      ¶ When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
        the moon and the stars that you have established;
Psa. 8:4     what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
        mortals that you care for them?
 
Psa. 8:5      ¶ Yet you have made them a little lower than God,
        and crowned them with glory and honor.
Psa. 8:6     You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
        you have put all things under their feet,
Psa. 8:7     all sheep and oxen,
        and also the beasts of the field,
Psa. 8:8     the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
        whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
 
Psa. 8:9      ¶ O LORD, our Sovereign,
        how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Observation:

God in his creative abilities and majesty has created all things.  The crowning jewel of creation was humanity, made in the image of God, to be a reflection of him in all the earth.  While we may look with awe and wonder at the stars of the sky and all the creatures that roam this earth, when we look at one another, we should be stunned by the glory and honor given by God. 

With all that we have, we must be stewards of his kingdom, so that he may be seen and reflected in all the earth.

Application:

When I was a teenager I had to memorize long portions of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.  I remember being moved by the passion that could be sensed in the words which had been spoken.  It was a passion motivated by his deep faith in God and his belief that all of humanity had been made in God’s image and as such, the kingdom of God should already be revealed here on earth where ALL humanity should be treated as such.  His life was faith in action, believing that he was called to make a difference in the here and now! 

Years of living in the former Soviet Union have informed my life and during my time there I began to understand their human quest to make all mankind equal.  Everyone was to be on the same level and share everything in common.  Martin Luther King was held up as a role model — but something was missing.  One day in conversation with one of my Russian friends I mentioned Dr. King and his faith and they stopped me.  “He was a Christian?”  This part of his life had been omitted from their history lessons.  He was simply portrayed as an activist — not a Christian and let-alone a minister.  The problem with this portrayal is that it removes the theological underpinning, the motivation for understanding the action — that God has made ALL of humanity just “a little lower than God.”  All of humanity, male and female, black, white, or any other race — we are all the crowning jewels of creation and we are to be a beautiful reflection of the fellowship found in God right here on the earth!  This is the reflection of the already and coming kingdom of God.

If we choose to rewrite history and simply make our motivation some kind of activism, we will get it wrong.  Instead, look to the stars and see the very hand of God.  Stand in awe and wonder at what he has done, and then march forward in his kingdom, bringing about change so that the world will see how majestic is His name in all the earth! 

Prayer:

Lord, we praise you and your name this day.  Amen.