With Bands of Love

Who said these:

a. A nation will not survive morally or economically when so few have so much and so many have so little.

b. The worst things in history have happened when people stop thinking for themselves, especially when they allow themselves to be influenced by negative people. That's what gives rise to dictators. Avoid that at all costs. Stop it first on a personal level, and you will have contributed to world sanity as well as your own.

c. “You're tired of hearing about it? (racism) Imagine how freaking tiring it must be living through it.”

d. Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.

During Pester the Pastor, the question was asked of how do we not get caught up in the 'us versus them.' It is very hard not to do in our time of identity politics and labeling of people and all that pushes us to pick a side quickly without looking at the long game.

Hosea's time as a prophet was probably around 30 years. To begin his time as a prophet he was ordered by God to marry a sex-worker who had three kids that weren't his and named them, "God sows", "Not pitied", "Not my people and I am not your God". In the third chapter, Hosea is called to redeem her and keep her and her kids safe. This was during the time after the breakup of the nation of Israel when the northern kingdom was called "Israel" or "Ephraim (who was Joseph of Genesis son) with the capital of Samaria and the southern kingdom was called "Judah" with Jerusalem with it's capital. There was a long reign of King Jeroboam II were it was a time of wealth and relative peace. In this time, the people of the Northern Kingdom went after idols and forgot about God and their covenant. Also during this time, Assyria was growing in power and military might and was threatening the whole region. Hosea calls out the people of Israel and Ephraim to say that even though they have disregarded the covenant with God and played sex-worker with other gods and idols and focused on their own wealth and concerns, God cannot let them go.

In chapters 4-10, Hosea denounces and hammers the people and their leaders again and again about how they make a deal with Assyria for peace and then make another deal with Egypt to attack Assyria and how this is not going to work. Hosea vents frustration and anger of how the people of Israel have turned their back on God and God's ways. He calls them the wayward sex-worker of a faithful husband.

In our text today, we hear the anger passing and the heartache of one who was wronged but still in love and still caring for the one who betrayed the covenant. Hosea speaks as a parent, a mother who has raised the child, teaching it right from wrong and grieving its choice to do wrong. There are consequences, for the Northern Kingdom will be conquered, but it is not a death sentence and they can start again in its relationship with God.

Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War was quoted: "Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right." The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, reminded the early Christians, "for our struggle is not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."

How do we figure out God's side versus the rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, and spiritual forces of evil when any side, at times, is showing anger and making promises of a better future? I believe the answer is the based and grounded in love: calling out behavior but also showing them the path of restoration; anger at the hurt that was caused, but also offering healing; and being honest with our emotions, but never losing our compassion for anyone nor everyone.

Let us allow God to lead us with cords of love, teach us to walk in right paths for her name's sake, and hold us and keep us with bands of love.

a. Bernie Sanders

b. Donald Trump

c. Jon Steward

d. JFKennedy

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