Weekly Bible Message in a time of HIV

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A message for the week starting on Sunday 29 August 2021

Lectionary Week: Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Prescribed Texts: Song of Solomon: 2:8-13, Psalm 45:1-2,6-9, James 1:17-27, Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

The Storms That Help Us Grow in Faith

Focus Text:  Mark 7: 1-8

The whole book of Mark focuses on Jesus during His life while He was living on earth, living out His ministry. This scripture is truly relevant in these times that we are living in when we think of the daily challenges of COVID-19 and HIV. I have heard people saying that COVID-19 was created on purpose by pharmaceutical companies. I have also heard people describing HIV as God’s judgement.

The ritual of hand washing is more common in our daily lives and even more emphasized during this time of COVID-19. In fact, we have just been reminded that we have to go back to basics. It is common knowledge that we have to wash our hands before we eat, which we also teach our children to do when entering the house after playing outside.

The Pharisees’ argument about the washing of hands, points to the question: are we about tradition, or about Christ? Have we forgotten that Christ died for us to receive salvation? If we find ourselves stuck in the arguments about traditions, will we get a chance to share the Word with the lost and win souls? In today’s life, we still find ourselves arguing about issues that are not glorifying God. How many times do we look down on people with a judging eye, when we think that they are not acting up to our standards?

As women, we have a tendency of looking down on each other or even breaking each other down – we often strive to find fault with one another. How many times do we pass a woman on the street, and we have already judged her before we could even listen to her story? It is high time that we, as women, learn to take care of each other, especially in this time of uncertainty. We are living in trying times, where we have no guarantee of being alive the following day. However, this is a time for us to be considerate and to be mindful, especially of the struggles of our sisters in this world.

To think about: Am I truly my sister’s keeper, or do I stick to the tradition of only seeing the person who is like-minded, as my sister? My sister is not only the one close to me, the poor or the one in church with me. What about the sex worker, isn’t she also my sister? Let us sit down, wash our hands, pray and eat together.

Written by: Mpho Lekgetho, author and trained Churches, Channels of Hope (CCOH) Facilitator.