Scripture: Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, click in humility value others above yourselves, try not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Thought for the Day: I find it interesting that something so seemingly obvious is actually so subversive. The idea that we should be humble and put the interests of others before ourselves flies in the face of modern convention (certainly there is little humility to be found in the media or in politics). We live in a world where the budget for social services is in danger yet corporate profits are protected at all costs. In this kind of world, click the interests of others are never even taken into account, much less put before our own selfish desires.

Throughout the Bible, men and women speak loudly against the injustices of Empire, urging us to rethink the way we live and structure society. For millennia philosophers have struggled with new ways to create a social order that is more universally accepting, fair, and compassionate. In practice, none of these systems is perfect, whether it’s Communism or Democracy, because in any of the systems, individual selfishness always corrupts the ideal. Both the Communist Chinese and the American Democratic government are involved in high-level scandals right now. So nobody’s perfect. Perhaps no human-invented system can ever be perfect.

Humans, left to their own moral contrivances, will always act in their own best interests. Survival is built into us, even at the expense of others. But when a human discovers a relationship with God, then we no longer have to rely on our own fallible moral compass. Once we accept the relationship God constantly offers us—really accept it, not just pay it lip service, then we become one with the Supreme Universal Truth, the moral fiber of the universe that commands us to be giving, compassionate, and loving beings.

The Empire is as powerful today as it ever was, so it’s more important than ever for us to find our strength, courage, and voice in God.

Prayer: God grant me the courage to speak out against injustice, the strength to act for the good of all humankind, and the wisdom to rely on your Divine Guidance. Amen.