What God Requires - Doing Justice, Loving Kindness, Walking Humbly with God

What God Requires - Doing Justice, Loving Kindness, Walking Humbly with God

Dr. J.R. Norwood 

Preached on June 7, 2020 - Ujima Village Christian Church

12th Online Sermon during Coronavirus Pandemic Lock-down

The Prophet Micah lays out a charge against the sinful hearts and actions of his people…  He tells them that God himself has indicted them… Micah 6:2 (ESV); “2  Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the LORD has an indictment against his people, and he will contend with Israel.”

 

Micah not only lists the charges against his people, but also proclaims the will of the Lord.  He not only condemns their sin, but also summons them to faithfulness… In the dog-eat-dog days of the privileged elite ignoring the plight of the oppressed downtrodden… when people of every station point out the faults of others but justify their own fault… when we shout about the sins of others but don’t repent of our own sin, the words of our text ring out… Micah 6:8 (ESV); “8  He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

I Can't Breathe

by Dr. J.R. Norwood

"I can't breathe!" These words have been said by both Eric Garner and George Floyd while they were being restrained by police in a manner that caused these panicked utterances to be some of their last. The murder of George Floyd happened during the same week that Christopher Cooper was able to avert what could have been a similar situation perpetrated against him as he simply asked that a white woman obey the laws of the park they both were enjoying and keep her dog on a leash. Her response was to use her privilege to threaten him and then call for the police with the lying claim that she was being attacked by an African-American man. Thank God that Mr. Cooper was video recording the event and that he kept his cool throughout. 

Sadly, these are not rare occurrences. Many people of color, perhaps most, have experienced injustice at the hands of both authority figures and by our white brothers and sisters acting out of a sense of superiority and privilege that is based in the entanglements of the backdrop of racism that permeates so much of our society.