He holds your life in his hand

Daniel 5:23 But you treat with contempt the living God who holds your entire life from birth to death in his hand.

This is the famous incident of the "writing on the wall." Drunken King Belshazzar of Babylon has called in the sacred vessels from the Temple in Jerusalem, which his father Nebuchadnezzar had brought back, and is eating and drinking off them as if they are ordinary plates. The words written on the wall pronounce his doom.

Do we honor the sacred in our lives? The presence of God as it exists in every human being is one place I see the sacred. We can respect each person and listen to understand his or her truth, whether we agree or disagree with a particular point of view. We know what it is like to be treated with hostility or contempt, to be intimidated, demeaned and ignored. The Torah says, "Don't do to others what you wouldn't want done to you." This kind of treatment denies the sacred in every living human. Jesus said, "Do not return evil for evil." So even when we are treated in contemptuous ways, we are called not to respond in kind. Desmond Tutu told of spending hours prostrate on the floor praying to God because he could feel the hatred beginning to grow in his heart for all those who had oppressed his people.. He could not take one step without clearing his heart of anger or it would taint all that he was trying to accomplish. That's a pretty high standard, but a good example. I found myself in a situation recently where I was treated with hostility, intimidation tactics and a dismissive attitude. As my mind continues to walk through ways of getting one-up on them (in a good Christian way, of course!) it is clear my heart is troubled. I need to clear my heart, like Desmond Tutu did, before I make a move.

Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for the clarity with which you have shown me my path. Cleanse my heart of all the effects of this event so that I may once again be present to the sacred in all people. Amen