“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts” (Ps 95:8) – our refrain from today’s Psalm. The thing is that God knows the hearts of humans and can anticipate our responses, a sobering thought echoed throughout the Bible (see Jeremiah 17:10). While the Psalm command is clear enough, you have to wonder if our “hearts” are already leaning one way or another. Think about the biases and prejudices we carry – aren’t a heart already leaning in one direction. Being from the South I was always under the assumption that New Yorkers were rude and folks from Boston were prickly. Of course they probably heard the semblance of a Southern accent and wondered if I could read. Continue reading
Hard Hearts
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The synoptic gospels (Mark, Mathew and Luke) recount the story of Jesus being accused of working for the powers of darkness: ““By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” I can remember as a young person being frightened to know the devil was so familiar to the world that he/she had a name: Beelzebul. One of my vivid memories was as child hearing a fiery sermon by a preacher at the Pine Street Pentecostal Church. It was a Sunday night and we were outside listening. Again and again the preacher hoisted up and dropped upon the congregation the name of Beelzebul, the prince of darkness who leered, lingered, and lured the unwary soul onto perdition’s ways.
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