Read John 7:40-52.
I find it interesting that the only real criticism the Pharisees can think to offer about the crowd following Jesus is that they do not know the Law. It may have been an accurate observation, but what strikes me is this: even if this crowd did not know the Law, they knew God when they saw Them moving, and maybe that is worth more. This is not to say the Bible is not important; we know that it is, but I can’t help but feel like we are in danger of making the Bible into an idol when we prioritize the words on the page over the workings of God in the world. When our neighbor, our sibling, comes to us and cries out against the words we hold so dearly, cries out against all the harm they have done to them, are we not called to choose Love over righteousness? When these words or the people that speak them are not loving, are we not fully justified to choose who we trust the perfect God to be, over the imperfect words used to describe Them? Is this not what we are called to do, over and over and over again?
Pray
Loving God, what do we say to those who claim to know where prophets do or do not come from? What do we do when we find those same assumptions in ourselves? Open our eyes to Your workings in the world, God, and open our ears to the cries of our neighbor. Above all, make us loving, make us kind, make us into who You would have us be in this world. Amen.
Feagin Hardy
Student
Words for Waiting 