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Devotion for the week of December 27th

by | Dec 27, 2020 | Billie's Blog, Where Love Lives

Director of Outreach & Justice

Scripture Reading: Luke 16:19-21

There was a rich man who…lived in luxury every day. At his gate was… Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table.

“It’s not enough to simply complain about injustice; the only way to prevent future injustice is to create the society we would like to see, one where we are all equal under the law.”  ~ Rev. Al Sharpton

Two perspectives, written in two very different time periods separated by hundreds and hundreds of years. Yet, we struggle with the same issues. The theme for Where Love Lives for December, GROUNDED IN SOCIAL ACTION, “I seek always to bring God’s love to those in need.”

In Luke we hear the disparity between a person of wealth, and Lazarus, hurting and as written, “longing” to eat the scraps that might come his way. Then we have Rev. Sharpton reminding us that the future can only be better if we create a world where all people are equal. So many aspects to that equality need our prayers and our actions: housing, hunger, jobs with good wages, safety, and for many of us right now, and assurance that the pandemic will soon pass. That no more loved ones will be lost or suffer.

What can we do? How can we make change? The answer can be found in this month’s theme – Seek always to bring God’s love to those in need.

Seek– be active, take initiative, look for someone who can use your helping hand, prayer or listening ear.

Always– just as in prayer, our desire to help those in need should be ongoing, never ending. The poor will always be with us – so too should our desire to help, to give more than scraps from the table.

Bring– there’s our action statement! What can I bring to someone in need? What can I give that person? Is it prayer? Is it food? Is it examining an unjust law and gathering people to change that law? Is it approaching building associations and inquiring as to how we can build more and more and more, affordable housing? Is it writing a prisoner or changing law? What… can I bring as an individual? What… can I bring in community?

God’s Love– it’s a love of Hope. A love blanketed in grace. A love that gently call to us to be God’s people, to one, to all.

Those In Need– and there are many. It may be the poor, it may be the homeless, it may be the hungry. It may be the person in prison. It may be the child that has been trafficked or the woman who has suffered abuse. It may be you, it may be me.

The very first word of the theme is “I”. This calls on each of us to respond in prayer, in action. God will give us strength and direction, the Holy Spirit tapping your shoulder, tugging at your heart, whispering in your ear. The Holy Child has arrived! We celebrate our Savior, and all that was given to us.

Let us celebrate all of God’s children in the very best ways we can, so that tomorrow is welcomed. By one, by all.  Amen.


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Author: Billie K. Fidlin

Billie K. Fidlin is the Director of Outreach & Justice for the Desert Southwest Conference. She is a graduate of Western Michigan University and attended Claremont School of Theology for religious studies. Ms. Fidlin currently serves as the President of the Arizona Faith Network in her second term. She is President & Founder of Whisper n Thunder Inc., and sits on various boards including the Justa Center. Her awards include the UM Foundation for Evangelism 2004 Distinguished Evangelist; 2016 Church Women United / United Nations Human Rights Award; 2018 Servant Leader Award AZ Faith Network; 2022 Southern Poverty Law Center Certificate of Recognition; and 2022-23 Class of Who's Who in America.

The Desert Southwest Conference is a diverse and loving organization with open doors to a variety of people and partners in ministry. Celebrating our connection and diversity, we offer various resources. Content on this site includes information from other organizations that may not reflect the official policies or Social Principles of The United Methodist Church or the Desert Southwest Conference.

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