He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord
require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8 (NIV)
I have this thing about minor prophets;
they are often the canaries in the coal mine.
Everyone does not hear them. They often go unseen, yet their words have power.
Years ago, I observed interactions in a meeting; learned some useful lessons; was probably even convicted, and am grateful for the cautionary tale the experience provided in living what we believe.
There are times when I talk (or write) a lot. I do go on.
Equally, particularly in new environments, I people-watch, more comfortable observing the verbal and non-verbal interactions between people. I love communication.
The meeting (convened by a committee of believers, worshipers in the same congregation) opened prayerfully with an invitation for all to be of one accord. We agreed to disagree without contention, there was laughter, a sweet spirit in the room. I was hopeful.
Things went well until stuff got real.
Within moments, people shifted in their seats, turning toward those with whom they were aligned and away from those with whom they obviously disagreed. Nobody said a word at this point, but when I tell you the air changed, became charged? It was like an additional, potentially ominous, presence in the room.
The meeting facilitator wisely chose NOT to step in and inhibit the natural progression.
Beautifully, collectively, we journeyed through the storm and out to clear blue skies. It was evidence of God. Almost absentmindedly, I’d made note of one of several Scriptures shared by the facilitator at the opening of the meeting, and read it silently to myself, once again…
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 (NIV)
The prophet Micah reminds us that we know better and that owing to our Covenant with God, we are obligated to do better.
I observed the journey from knowing to doing.
As the clouds began to lift, my eyes wandered to a document one of the speakers presented at the onset of the meeting. I’d only scanned the pages, but three elements of the guidelines listed caught my eye.
They were:
- Seek peace in all situations
- Agree to disagree in situations where there is a difference of opinion …
- Dislike confusion (that was my favorite)
I don’t believe that the authors of the guidelines collaborated with the facilitator to align the Scriptures for the meeting with their presentation. That was a God thing.
I don’t believe that anyone anticipated that tensions would escalate as rapidly or as intensely as they did, as quickly as they did. That was a God thing.
I wonder if anyone anticipated the rapid return of peace, clarity, and accountability for next steps, although we should have, because that meeting, that gathering, that we were there in that place at that time, was a God thing. It was a God thing.
Knowing me at all, you know I don’t believe in random. I don’t believe in coincidence.
I believe in free will, knowing that the Perfect Will of God leads us to and through
things in order to bring us to the places we need to be. Like beyond the storm. Like into the beginnings of understanding. Like through the tension and into Grace. Toward acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with The One. Seeking Peace.
See what happens when you take an open mind and a yielding spirit to a meeting?