Struck by the stark warning.

"I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strays, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice."

- Ezekiel 34:16

Not exactly comforting words for those who currently have a tight grip on power. God is clearly taking the side of those who the powerful endeavor to keep in their place.

So what was Ezekiel talking about?Ezekiel was a prophet who saw the future of the Israelites. He saw the rebuilding of the temple. A sign that they had regained God's favor. There was a catch, a hurdle to overcome. That vision was for a just future based on love, and those who subverted that love would pay the consequences.

In sum, the book of Ezekiel describes God's promise that the people of Israel will maintain their covenant with God when they are purified and receive a "new heart" … Marvin Sweeney (1998)

What's going on? It's seems pretty clear. If the people of Israel wanted to continue to be in God's favor, they needed to make changes. They needed to become fair and just in their dealings with others. They would have to display inclusiveness and generosity. There could no longer be divisiveness, an us against against the other mentality.

For believers today, the commandments go beyond saying I will pray for you. If believers leave it there, they're not listening to what God is telling them. 

Micah 6:8 NLT

No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

NLT: New Living Translation

Those are imperative statements. If you see someone in need, and do nothing, are you ignoring God's imperatives?

Changing the Focus

I listen to the Republicans, and their patter is all trash talk, no goals, no solutions. Words that are aimed to diminish others, to enflame and enrage.

 There's a better way.

What would happen if we focused on 

the event, or the policy, and not the person?

This calls for a measured response. Listening before speaking. 

It might take a change in behavior. Instead of lashing out, developing the ability to skip a beat before responding.

What would happen if we looked toward the solution instead of back at the problem?

We might just find common goals. From there mutual respect. We might just stop aiming our words at each other.