God of the living

"God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”Matthew 22:32

I watched the news this morning and learned that a great gathering is taking place in Denmark to look at the a multiplicity of environmental issues. Denmark has improved their overall environmental health in the past few years along with growing their economy. I am fascinated and curious to learn what they have done and to find out what of their model we can use here at home. I am also aware of how interdependent we all are, and how fragile this earth is, 'our island home.'

People were trying to test Jesus and used the rules of marriage as a test. It seems to me that things haven't changed so much in 2000 years. We are still arguing about the rules of marriage, while there are people suffering and communities in need right in front of our faces. We seem to want to scramble for power and control while the fragile planet, both in population and resources, is facing crisis after crisis. We seem to continue on a road that trades compassion for wealth, a shared future with a satisfied present. Even Jesus was a little frustrated with the testing and wanted desperately to get his message across. God is the God of the living, of our neighbors, of those right next to us and around us. God is the God of the relatives - all those who lives are linked with ours - which at this point is the people across the globe.

Today, I want to redouble my prayers and work for compassion and peace. I want to live so that others can follow behind and find their lives a little better, a little more enriched by my living. I want to lend my life to the care of others. For God is the God of the living, of the right here now needs of our world.