Sunday’s Lectionary includes a bit from 1 Thessalonians. Paul is anxious to let the readers know that they can trust him and need to hear what he is saying. But how do we know whom to trust? All the words in the world saying ‘trust me’ count for nothing. But at least Paul and his fellow-traveller(s) can point to the evidence of their deeds. Is what somebody does consistent with what they say? Of course with an unknown person it’s not possible to gather that evidence. Tight-knit communities, for all their faults (which are many) at least give you a chance of knowing whether someone is to be trusted. In politics, the problem is also very real. People who have become too cynical about ‘politicians’ will vote for anyone, because they can’t be any worse than all the others. Attacks on news channels and the rise of social media are potentially dangerous to democracy – how do we know anything for sure? Why should anyone’s private life have any relevance to their suitability to serve the country? Well, on the whole it shouldn’t – but OTOH, would you take lessons in being careful from somebody who doesn’t even know how many children he has?
Anyway, like anyone in politics, Paul has a message. For that, read on in the letter.
So. Deeds, not words. And the tier one deeds, the most fundamental and important, are about the necessities of life. Are children entitled to be fed? Some think not. See what Janet says about this.…
God of love,
we give ourselves to
feed the hungry,
care for those in need,
do the Good News of Christ.