Thursday, June 8th, 2017

“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” – Galatians 6:1 ESV

The lead news stories today center on the Senate hearings investigating the possible Russian collusion/interference in our last Presidential election, as well as President Trump’s dealings with the intelligence community since taking office. Surrounding this ever-present headline is a multitude of allegations, innuendo, and spin from both sides of the political spectrum. This sort of situation is nothing new to our world, and is akin to the plight of the Galatians that Paul wrote to correct. In Galatians, Paul lays out the historical and theological basis for the Christian faith before moving to his advice for how to correct the Galatian’s wayward path. He comments in Chapter 5 that the various sects that were forming in the church between the unconverted Gentiles, Jewish Christians, and Gentiles seeking to live just like Jesus (not putting importance on Mosaic Law) were “hurting each other and tearing each other apart” (5:15). He assures them that this sort of in-fighting would inevitably lead to mutual destruction. Such is the state of American politics today, and the reason for Elevated Discourse’s existence. In Chapter 6, Paul prescribes several items for the Galatians to work on in order to live a Christ-like life, one being the verse above. Paul urges the Galatians not to pile on strife and hurl insults at those who have made mistakes, but instead seek to “restore him in a spirit of gentleness.” When Jesus acted in righteous anger, he did so to restore, not destroy. In your daily intake of the news, bear in mind how the sectarian predicament faced by the Galatians centuries ago and the God-breathed words Paul wrote to them to fix it in many ways mirror the state of the US political climate today. Pray for Jesus to bestow a “spirit of gentleness” upon your daily struggles.