Daily Devotion

Galatians 5:2-15; 13,14

Over the course of the pandemic there were and continue to be some voices that asserted that their freedom was hindered by mask wearing, social distancing, and the closure of some businesses and institutions in the name of public health. This is not a new sentiment, but has become more apparent over the last year. It sometimes seems that in this country the values of personal freedom or liberty trump all others. These values, in and of themselves are not negative, but rather become negative when they effect the health and safety of the community as a whole.

This is what Paul is reminding us in verses 13 and 14. Clearly the freedom to get a haircut or go to the gym or movie theater or even gather for worship is self-indulgent during a community health crisis. Especially when it is white people that often disregard health advisories and how COVID-19 has disproportionately harmed radicalized groups and the poor. The same could be said of those who drive cars larger that what they need which create more harmful emissions that harm our planet and generations of humans to come.

How could we better become “slaves to one another” and love our neighbors as ourselves?And not just the neighbors we like or look like, but those who look different than us? How can we better understand our place in the interconnected web of God’s creation as a whole?