24 October 2022
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love,
as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
From Ephesians 4: 32-5:8, NRSV
If we think about the Roman Empire, the chances are we would not think of it as kind or tender-hearted. What the Ephesians were being taught here was definitely counter-cultural in a society in which military might and cruel “games” were important parts of the way of life they saw around them. The writer reminds them of the person they have chosen to follow. Just as Christ’s life was rooted in a love willing to sacrifice everything, so those early believers were being challenged to risk doing the same.
- How might what the Ephesians were taught differ from the prevailing culture of their time?
- How far have we come in keeping these commandments – personally and in wider society?
Give some time today to reflecting on God’s commandments and thinking how they are complied with – and how we fail to. Be open to any prompting to do something about them.
