first things first

I think I’ve got it!

By George, I think I’ve got it.

After all these years of Bible study,

and going to church, and hearing sermons—

and studying, and taking classes—

preaching, praying, contemplating …,

I think I’ve got the essence of holy sacred text

distilled—boiled down—to this:

your life matters immensely.

And it’s really not so much to determine

the state of your eternal soul

(your eternal soul’s not really even a scriptural concept)—

or the results of some great, cosmic, spiritual war.

No, it’s really more about

whether you choose to live your days

aligned to the ways of God

or according to the ways of the world.

And yes, yes, of course I know none of us are perfect.

This is not about any kind of absolute consistency.

We’re talking about the preponderance of evidence—

how you choose to live … most of the time.

Are you mean or kind?

Do you prioritize justice or privilege?

Do you speak truth or tell lies?

Do you line up with Paul’s think-on-these-things list

(Philippians 4:8) or not?

Do you understand the gift of someone different from you or not?

These everyday choices are critically important—

essentially relevant to the redeeming of all creation.

Your life matters profoundly.