I am not “my own person.” I belong to God. I am God’s valuable coin, to be spent as God desires. This sounds like obedience, but it’s really self-fulfillment.
We can’t get rid of our sin. It always wants to control us. Our racism and white supremacy is a perfect example. We have to continually listen for the voice of God, who speaks to us in the poor and oppressed.
The story of the rich man and Lazarus invites us to do more than just give to the poor, but to examine what divides us from those who are needy, hurting, or seeking a place of belonging.
There is one Creation and we are part of it; and it is part of God. Mindful of this gift, we live with reverence and gratitude– and we care passionately for God’s Creation.
We sometimes feel lost–not that we don’t know where we are but that we have no place. But we have a place of belonging in this world. God will never “lose” us.