S.O.S.
Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter.
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
and clever in their own sight.
Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine
and champions at mixing drinks,
who acquit the guilty for a bribe,
but deny justice to the innocent.
Isaiah 5:20-23
What communities celebrate is a great insight into their culture. Think about Bob Hawke. What do most people remember or know about Bob Hawke? It’s that he was really good at drinking beer. Aussies love it (he has his own brand of craft beer now), but our celebration of Bob Hawke’s drinking is a mirror to our drinking culture.
And as Isaiah reminds us. Woe to those who celebrate (call good) evil. This is true of a national culture. But how much more true of the culture of God’s Church. So are there ways where we can celebrate evil, call evil good?
What we celebrate in our Church community points to our culture. I remember at a church I grew up in, you were much more likely to be invited to do something on stage if you were attractive. It’s not evil to be attractive but to celebrate it is to take on the values of our world which is evil.
This goes the opposite way too. I was at a Church where ‘theology’ was a dirty word. All that mattered was encountering God through the ‘spirit’ (usually in a mystical sense). This is to call something good, evil.
To be a light in our community. We need to call what is evil, evil and what is good, good. This is to shine the light of God’s goodness in the darkness. What could you celebrate today?
For Today:
Pray: Praise the Father that He is good and hates what is evil. Give thanks for Jesus Christ who is the shining light in the darkness of our world. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others celebrate what is good and hate what is evil.
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter.
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
and clever in their own sight.
Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine
and champions at mixing drinks,
who acquit the guilty for a bribe,
but deny justice to the innocent.
Isaiah 5:20-23
What communities celebrate is a great insight into their culture. Think about Bob Hawke. What do most people remember or know about Bob Hawke? It’s that he was really good at drinking beer. Aussies love it (he has his own brand of craft beer now), but our celebration of Bob Hawke’s drinking is a mirror to our drinking culture.
And as Isaiah reminds us. Woe to those who celebrate (call good) evil. This is true of a national culture. But how much more true of the culture of God’s Church. So are there ways where we can celebrate evil, call evil good?
What we celebrate in our Church community points to our culture. I remember at a church I grew up in, you were much more likely to be invited to do something on stage if you were attractive. It’s not evil to be attractive but to celebrate it is to take on the values of our world which is evil.
This goes the opposite way too. I was at a Church where ‘theology’ was a dirty word. All that mattered was encountering God through the ‘spirit’ (usually in a mystical sense). This is to call something good, evil.
To be a light in our community. We need to call what is evil, evil and what is good, good. This is to shine the light of God’s goodness in the darkness. What could you celebrate today?
For Today:
- Where have you seen evil being called good? Or good, evil?
- Have you ever celebrated the wrong thing? Do you need to repent?
- What could you celebrate today in you or someone else?
Pray: Praise the Father that He is good and hates what is evil. Give thanks for Jesus Christ who is the shining light in the darkness of our world. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others celebrate what is good and hate what is evil.
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