“I said to the angel who spoke with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 Then the angel who spoke with me answered me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 6 He said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts. 7 What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain, and he shall bring out the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’ 8 Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. 10 For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel.” Zechariah 4:4-10
The prophets Zachariah and Haggai wanted the destroyed temple rebuilt. They hoped for renewed community with a vision of the Jewish people dating back to the days of King Solomon. However, rebuilding the temple was controversial. Many in Jerusalem were not Jewish. They were against rebuilding the temple which had no significance for them.
The trouble with religious convictions or beliefs is that we can rarely prove or disprove them. So, we start arguing with those whose conviction and beliefs differ from our own. History is filled with groups who believe they were exclusively endowed with divine truth so that they possess a unique mission and a unique authority within it.
Disagreement over religious and political issues is nothing new. It need not separate us from “One God, One faith” into bitter and hostile siblings. Today, we encounter committed Christians, who advocate different values and different understandings of the value of faith. We find disagreements and polarities, from those who advocate for secular values in a secular sphere, to those who want to see a more “Christian” nation.
God does have a vision for us. How do we live it out? We say we believe in God within us, the Holy Spirit of healing and forgiveness, of agape love.
The answer could be to switch from belief to practice; from believing things about Jesus to imitating Jesus.
“The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters.” 1 John 4:21
The prophets Zachariah and Haggai wanted the destroyed temple rebuilt. They hoped for renewed community with a vision of the Jewish people dating back to the days of King Solomon. However, rebuilding the temple was controversial. Many in Jerusalem were not Jewish. They were against rebuilding the temple which had no significance for them.
The trouble with religious convictions or beliefs is that we can rarely prove or disprove them. So, we start arguing with those whose conviction and beliefs differ from our own. History is filled with groups who believe they were exclusively endowed with divine truth so that they possess a unique mission and a unique authority within it.
Disagreement over religious and political issues is nothing new. It need not separate us from “One God, One faith” into bitter and hostile siblings. Today, we encounter committed Christians, who advocate different values and different understandings of the value of faith. We find disagreements and polarities, from those who advocate for secular values in a secular sphere, to those who want to see a more “Christian” nation.
God does have a vision for us. How do we live it out? We say we believe in God within us, the Holy Spirit of healing and forgiveness, of agape love.
The answer could be to switch from belief to practice; from believing things about Jesus to imitating Jesus.
“The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters.” 1 John 4:21
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