Y’all………..Here lately there has been a lot of folks saying things like, “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes,” and “Hang with the dogs, yer gonna get fleas.”  And ya know, that sentiment has been around since time began.  Long about 406 BC, Euripides said, “Every man is like the company he is wont to keep.”  Aesop, that teller of fantastic fables said, “A man is known by the company he keeps.”  And from the Book of Proverbs we have, “He that walketh with wise [men] shall be wise. (Prov 13:20).  And then, from good ol’ Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.” (1 Cor. 15:33)

So who ya hangin’ with?   I know in my heart of hearts that all of us want to be accepted by those around us.  It’s just who we are, and we are a social bunch.  I figure that’s why the Social Media industry is a multi-billion dollar thing.  But how far are we willing to go to be a part of this or that group?  Whatcha gotta do to be accepted into the “it” group, the most popular clique?

And maybe the group said to you, “Well, this is what you gotta do to be accepted,” and gave you a list of things you needed to work on. And, surprising as it may be, even God is like that.  It’s a pretty rare thing for me to skip the Gospel reading appointed for the day and jump into the Psalm, but today we are experiencing that rare thing and so here we are.  Today we get to get up close and personal with Psalm 15, written by everyone’s favorite shepherd turned king, David. 

A psalm of David

LORD, who may abide in your tent?^*

Who may dwell on your holy mountain?^*

Whoever walks without blame,

doing what is right, speaking truth from the heart;
Who does not slander with his tongue, does no harm to a friend, never defames a neighbor;
Who disdains the wicked, but honors those who fear the LORD;
Who keeps an oath despite the cost,
Who lends no money at interest, accepts no bribe against the innocent. Whoever acts like this shall never be shaken.

It takes no brilliant mind (which is a good thing, coz we know I ain’t that smart) to figure out what good ol’ Dave is sayin’ to us here.  If you wanna hang out in God’s tent/house/mansion/before the throne, then you gotta “straighten up and fly right,” as my momma used to say.  David explores the qualities of someone worthy to dwell in God’s presence. He outlines a path of integrity, truthfulness, and righteous conduct, emphasizing actions like speaking truthfully, treating neighbors well, and upholding commitments. Ultimately, he suggests that those who live by these principles will be steadfast and secure in their relationship with God, not easily moved by life’s challenges.

From the Hebrew scriptures to the Epistles we are told, over and over again, just how we should conduct ourselves.  We are taught in Paul’s letter to the Galatians that  things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). 

And from his letter to the Ephesians: Brothers and sisters:  Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were sealed for the day of redemption.  All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice.
And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.  So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.  (Eph 4:30—5:2)

I know, believe me do I know, in this age and period in our lives, how very difficult this is.  But we must persevere.  In the past few weeks, how many of us have said/posted/read/agreed with things that would most definitely not be considered Christ-like?   How many of us have let ourselves believe political statements that get in the way of acting like the “little Christ” we are called to be?  How many of us support, often  vehemently, opinions  and people are the antithesis of everything a Christian is called to be?  How many of us hang out with those kinda people?

It is up to us to see the Jesus in everyone, regardless of political belief, race, creed, color, sexual orientation, nationality, legal status, or anything thing else that can be used to divide us.  It is our job/duty/responsibility to remember that we are all of us HIS people, the sheep of HIS pasture, and we have far more in common than we do the things that divide us, if we truly identify as HIS.  We are to remain focused on the one thing that really matters in this world and the next:  Spreading and sharing the love of and for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.   We are called to love and to serve the Lord with gladness and singleness of heart.  We are called to care of each other, regardless of our politics.  We are commanded to ‘bless those who persecute us’ and we are called to ‘pray for our enemies.’  We are called to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless. (Matthew 25:31-46). 

It’s been said, “When people show you who they are, believe them,”  and “What you see is what you get.”

What do folks see when they look at you?  Who are you showing folks that you are?  And so, I gotta ask, who ya hangin’ with?

Amen