Scripture: Mark 1:27
The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, help “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.”

Thought for the Day: Jesus was a disruptor. His ideas about our relationship to God were new for his time. Jesus showed us that we are intimately connected to God, online and that through prayer and meditation we can commune directly with God. This idea was radical in an era when priests were the only humans authorized to communicate with God (of course, the fact many have turned Jesus into a mediator between humans and God is one of history’s great ironic twists).

Jesus’ desire for social equality was illegal, and his desire for the sick, poor, and infirm to be treated with love and respect, repulsed and frightened people. “He hangs out with Lepers! He is unclean! Don’t touch him!”

Jesus dared to think differently, and I think it’s healthy for us to remember that God is always doing something new. And usually, we’re not going to like that something new, at least at first. So I think of Jesus challenging the long-held beliefs of his people, and I check out spiritual ideas that make me uncomfortable—the ideas that challenge my long-held beliefs. Because in my experience, the ideas I resist the most are often the inspirations that help me grow the most, both spiritually, and as a human being.

Prayer: God of endless teaching, disrupt me with your presence, so that I will recognize your lead in every lesson of my life. Amen.