Beliefs do play out...

It seems that if we practice what we believe then the core of what we believe can be seen in the practices we express in our faith every day, or in crisis. So if we love our fellow man, we express love by serving, meeting needs and so forth. Yet it is interesting to see how a religious system lives out it's values. One of the more interesting observations was made recently by the BBC in the rescue/recovery efforts in Haiti http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8517070.stm.

We need to know that our beliefs always end up under scrutiny, whether we act or not, a choice not to respond is indeed a statement... just made in silence.  I am glad that the efforts of many Christians has been seen and noticed and our actions have been honorable in comparison to a belief system that is repressive and destructive. The question is how are our expressions and actions of faith playing out in our day to day? I think in-action is a statement... It is just an anesthetized way of coming to this core belief... I really don't care. So if we care about the principles of Jesus, how will this play out tomorrow?

Just a thought.

The Divine Signs...

I read Hosea and all I can say is this... though I have been through a lot I couldn't do that. Marry a prostitute, have my kids named after 3 curses, all of those said children from different fathers DURING OUR MARRIAGE and then woo  and charm her back into a love relationship.

But this isn't us... these passages are never about me, my soul's infidelity, nope, it's about someone else, has to be. If that's the case then when will we enjoy the promises and restoration... the good, assuming we can come clean. Because we need to see God as this:
 ¹⁴ "Therefore I am now going to allure her;
       I will lead her into the desert
       and speak tenderly to her.
 ¹⁵ There I will give her back her vineyards,
       and will make the Valley of Achor ^[a] a door of hope.
       There she will sing ^[b] as in the days of her youth,
       as in the day she came up out of Egypt.
 ¹⁶ "In that day," declares the LORD,
       "you will call me 'my husband';
       you will no longer call me 'my master. [c

We see God as a master, which he is, but he now also calls us beloved.

Just a quick thought.