Balance: Lent XX

. . . for you test the mind and heart, O righteous God.
     - From Psalm 7

The Conservatives have it right: Liberals use emotion but not logic.

The Liberals have it right: Conservatives seem to lack compassion.

But God puts both to the test.

We have to study Scripture carefully and closely. Let it harmonize with itself. Let it make sense. Let the Bible be its own commentary. Find the threads within, that bind it all together. It is not just a bunch of stories, lists, and moral precepts. It is a complex narrative that must be understood, as a unified and integrated whole. It tales time, prayer, and effort. It required patience and the willingness to be challenged.

It is also good for the Bible student to be well-versed in other disciplines: Science, History, Mathematics, Ethics, the Arts. Bible students need to care about current events. They should even be well-versed in the popular culture. What are people thinking, and why?

God will check up on us . . . He will apply Scripture to our lives. And we'll understand better if we've been studying.

But we also have to show the love that God has shared to us, and through us. We must act. We must care. We have got to put others first. We must not respond hatefully to others. We must not respond hatefully to all others. Even politicians . . . opposing politicians . . . are people. Immigrants are people. People that do not know English, are people. God loves them all.

Our heart must be on the right side. It must care. It must soften. It must help and it must act.

Jesus wept.

God will also follow up on us: Do we care? Do we love? Is our heart in the game, as well as our mind?