By Emily Hill Once our eyes become opened to the injustices in the world, we start to see them everywhere. We are inundated with countless issues and causes, and it is easy to become paralyzed by all the needs around us and lose hope that we can make any kind of difference. That’s a normal […]
The Lesson and Life for July 12, 2015
By Emily Hill We love to make ourselves feel more righteous by comparing ourselves to others—putting ourselves on the good side and them on the bad side. That tendency is especially easy when we look at the rich and powerful around us. James issued a strong warning to the wealthy, often subtitled in our Bibles […]
The Lesson and Life for July 5, 2015
By Emily Hill Do you ever notice how we don’t want to hear the advice that’s best for us? We’d rather keep doing what we know how to do or stay comfortable living life the way we always have. That’s what this passage reminds me of when the Israelites don’t want to hear what the […]
The Lesson and Life for June 28, 2015
By Kay Moll The words of Amos 8:7 are haunting: “The Lord has sworn by himself, the Pride of Jacob: ‘I will never forget anything they have done.’” The things that God will not forget have been made abundantly clear: widespread oppression of the poor and an unwillingness to address injustices. If God will not […]
The Lesson and Life for June 21, 2015
By Kay Moll God accused Israel of lying on beds adorned with ivory and of lounging on their couches. They dined on expensive food and wine and amused themselves by listening to music. They pampered themselves with expensive lotions. The condition of the poor was deplorable, and the rich did not even notice. A Desperate […]