I recently heard a minister say that he was advising his partners not to take part in the recession. In other words choose not to let all of the news around you dictate your attitude and your actions.

I agree with this spiritual teaching. However, I would add this caveat. While we may refuse to let our individual lives be controlled by the changing winds and tides of the economy we must not ignore how these events are impacting our neighbors.

While some people are telling others to stop listening to the news, I encourage you to listen to more news, to listen closely -- listen and ask questions. And after you listen to the news, listen to The Holy Spirit, ask for discernment -- seek Wisdom. Seek wisdom so you will not only have an answer for yourself but for your neighbor as well. It is not enough for us to know that we are flourishing. We are called to be fruitful ... to be "a well watered garden".

The Message (MSG)

Isaiah 58:6-12

"This is the kind of fast day I'm after:

to break the chains of injustice,

get rid of exploitation in the workplace,

free the oppressed,

cancel debts.

What I'm interested in seeing you do is:

sharing your food with the hungry,

inviting the homeless poor into your homes,

putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,

being available to your own families.

Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once.

l Your righteousness will pave your way.

The God of glory will secure your passage.

Then when you pray, God will answer.

You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.'

A Full Life in the Emptiest of Places

"If you get rid of unfair practices,

quit blaming victims,

quit gossiping about other people's sins,

If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,

Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,

your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.

I will always show you where to go.

I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places

— firm muscles, strong bones.

You'll be like a well-watered garden,

a gurgling spring that never runs dry.

You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,

rebuild the foundations from out of your past.

You'll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again."

photo courtesy of iStockphoto.com

cross posted at Pause For Thought

Comments (2)

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Great!
written by Jill Warner, May 29, 2008

This is beautiful. I love the message and the picture! I am very very glad to hear from you and am looking forward to reading other member blog posts!

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written by Belia Musonda, June 24, 2008

This is very good. I love it. Its true we are supposed to be a watered Garden. Not to ignore issues around us. What is usually in the news concerns most if not all of us. For example the situation in Zimbabwe!!

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