We've Been Down This Road Before...

In reading Deuteronomy, immediately I began to feel, "we’ve been down this road before, why all the repetition?" When I find myself at this place I find that I need to hear the story in a different voice. I chose to read this book from Eugene Peterson’s The Message. Peterson reminded me that this book is a series of sermons from Moses just as the people are preparing to move into the Promised Land – they have arrived, but before going forward, once again Moses was commanded to remind the people of their journey, God’s instruction and God’s blessing. This new generation needed know and own their story, "you were a people brought out of Egypt; this not just a story about what happened in "olden days" – this is you, your story. Hear it, feel it, own it, live by it so you will be blessed."

Deuteronomy is book is full of "don’t forgets." Don’t forget: how to live, how to dress, how to worship, conduct yourself in battle, how to take care of the stranger, the widow, the orphan….especially don’t forget I intend for you to live a different sort of life, one unlike all those around you – you are a people called and set apart; you are called to a different standard. It is much more comfortable when moving to a different community or culture to adopt and adapt to the culture. No one likes to hear, "You aren’t from here, are you?"

Early in Deuteronomy we find the Shema, "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One; you must love the Lord your god with all your heart, all our soul, and all your strength." This is the center of Jewish identity. This verse is posted near the doorframes of all practicing Jewish families to this very day in a special "box" called a mezuzah. Each time they pass through the door, they touch it as a reminder that God is to be the center of their lives. It is a tangible reminder of God’s provision, God’s commandments, and God’s sovereignty in their lives – it is a literal "touchstone" for them. It reminds them that, No, they aren’t "from here," theirs is a deeper identity.

What touchstones do you have in your life that remind and connect you to your faith, your tradition, to your identity? Perhaps it is a cross in your pocket or a coin you carry with you, or perhaps a necklace you wear. It is good to have these reminders, but the best reminder is the words of grace that exist within us – the words, "you are forgiven." - Kathy Lamon, pastor of Congregational Care and Older Adults