WATCHWORD:
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
Meditation:
Spite and Malice
My son taught me a card game that was fun to play and, at times, required strategy. It is called Spite and Malice, an intimidating title if there ever was one. It’s a card game and in the course of play there are times when you can play a card and block your opponent from playing one of theirs. But, on the whole, it is a friendly game, it can cause laughter, and chiding reminders of a better play the other might have made if they had been paying attention. Of course, if you add a penny-a-point, well, some people get pretty competitive, then look out! It’s one of those card games I would recommend just for fun of it. All you need are two regular decks of playing cards.
But that title is not a recommended character description for a follower of Christ. Spite is the desire to hurt, annoy, or offend someone. Not a good mind-set. Malice, on the other hand, may be worse, if you are into difference shades of darkness. Malice is a mind-set to intentionally do evil, ill will, or other hurtful things to another person. It is a sense of seeking revenge for a real or imagined action or words of another.
If you look on the other side, the positive side on those two ideas, you get a picture of the good attitude and actions of a person who loves God and the neighbor as themselves. Look at the antonyms for malice: Friendliness, good will, kindness, loving one another. If you seek to do the opposite of malice, that would be, charity, compassion, etc.
For the opposite of spite, we see similar descriptors, but we also see ideas such as repentance, grief and shame, along with blessing and affection.
How we seek to imitate Christ is not a game we play, it is the way we live our lives. When we are told to go and make disciples, our role is to go, to be compassionate, to repent of any wrong we may have done, to grieve along with a friend who has lost a loved one. It is to be a blessing and show affection, to all, including the “foreigner within our gates”.
Yes, we can play and enjoy card games that carry names such as “Spite and Malice”, “Risk”, “Monopoly” and others where we are competing with friends without mercy, but that is not how we live our lives, how we serve our Blessed Lord. Have fun, but, then, “go and do likewise.” So be it.
Prayer — Take My Life and Let It Be:
Dear Heavenly Father, take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my moments and my days, let them flow in creaseless praise. Here, Lord, take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love. Take my feet, too, Lord, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee. Lord, I raise my voice and to sing always and only for my King. And my lips, Lord, let them be filled with messages from Thee. I give you all my love, Lord, I pour it all at Your feet. Take myself, and I will be, ever only all for Thee. You are my one and only, please, Lord, take me as I am. Amen.
