Leviticus 19:1-18
19The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:2Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.3You shall each revere your mother and father, and you shall keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.4Do not turn to idols or make cast images for yourselves: I am the Lord your God.5When you offer a sacrifice of well-being to the Lord, offer it in such a way that it is acceptable on your behalf.6It shall be eaten on the same day you offer it, or on the next day; and anything left over until the third day shall be consumed in fire.7If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination; it will not be acceptable.8All who eat it shall be subject to punishment, because they have profaned what is holy to the Lord; and any such person shall be cut off from the people.9When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest.10You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God.
11You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another.12And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God: I am the Lord.13You shall not defraud your neighbor; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a laborer until morning.14You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.15You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor.16You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the Lord.17You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself.18You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
Before anyone considers what is to be done in life according to the commandments, all is complete and in place - God's people are holy - without action. It is an announcement - it is an eternal truth that creates life. It is enough. But we must remember that we are not a people who believe that about ourselves. We are usually on the march to prove ourselves - to come off to others as though we are someone special because of what we have or do. Holy comes to us a a gift - a description of what God sees. God is holy - God's people are holy. That is the way the package comes. With that being the truth that starts the day at hand, what is next. It is actually quite simple - be who we are God's holy people.
But for simple minds like mine, there comes the question about what that means. Holy is not something 'other' or something like a prize or medal that we receive later for work well done. Holy is the birthmark of our lives. Since we are a relational people, holy unfolds in all we do - it is something that can be witnessed - it is as real as our human relationship - it is not distant, it is an available life.
So we are given some hints - suggestions - guides. If you want to see holy alive, here is what it looks like when we are going through the day. The simple commands are much more profound than they appear. There is a whole world of life within one command that may simply say: honor your mother and father.
Connection: So how does holy come to life for you today. How does it pull you to do and be and act? Holy is a frightening word for many folks because it can appear to be all about a reality that is foreign - alien - beyond us. And yet, Holy is the beginning and it will be the shape of the end. We are God's Holy people - imagine that.
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