Tuesday, 7 May, 2002

Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. Romans 14:13-18

Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for you to make others fall by what you eat; it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble. The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed are those who have no reason to condemn themselves because of what they approve. But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat, because they do not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. Romans 14:19-23



The matter of food is not essential to the faith. There are many things that are not essential to the faith. Even with these practices and things that are not essential, there will be those who - for some reason of their own - hold such things to be a piece of the rock upon which they stand. This is why I so often contend that we must be willing to be followers of Jesus who persistently study and discuss and enter into a good give-and-take about what it is that is essential for the Church to be the Church. Yes, there will be those who find they have a strong need to hand onto items of their "piety" that -to them- must be in place. Again, sometimes it is only time that enables people to move and grow and find what is truly at the core of our faith. It is important to remember that often the things that "condemn" us are things within our "piety" that are not anchored and do not necessarily grow from our trusting in the Good News.



Connection: What is at the core of your faithfulness? What is it that has contains the grace of God and must be for you the center of your life today? Sometimes we must aske ourselves each day...what matters here...what is the vision for life in Christ, Jesus, doing in my life in regard to how I see all things and participate in the events of this day?



In times of trouble and confusion O Lord, be the resting place upon which we can gather our thoughts and actions and mind so that we may meditate on your never ending love for us and how it becomes our all in all. Amen.