It is early July, historically my favorite time of the year. Although I would not qualify as a fireworks enthusiast (I’ve had too many pets for whom this tradition is torture), I do love the sentiment of freedom and independence to pursue the best for our relatively short lives on this earth. God gives us this one amazing life. We can never know when it will end. Our task is to challenge ourselves with what we might do with it.

Today’s reading from Hosea is thus challenging. Hosea is one of two prophets recorded in the Old Testament who lived and worked in the northern kingdom of Israel shortly after the split between the northern and southern territories of what was the united kingdom of Israel in ca. 920 BCE (the other is Amos). The Old Testament teaches that God’s covenantal relationship with the Israelites extends through the Davidic covenant in the southern kingdom of Judah. As a prophet, Hosea speaks for God and, thus, represents the opposition to the reigning party in the northern kingdom, which he understands to be off base from God’s plan.

In today’s reading, God speaks through Hosea to ask us to beware of those who pursue power for power’s sake. Such leaders tend to construct idols as red herrings; i.e., what we might today call false flags, to advert attention such that we do not grapple with the real issues at stake. Hosea challenges us to think critically and discern true motives and aspirations before we make our decisions. God calls us to break through the rabble and find God’s true voice—and sometimes there is a lot of rabble!.

The reading from Matthew’s Gospel tells us just what God’s true voice is. In Matt 9:32–39, Jesus heals a man who has been ravaged by “a demon.” Many are amazed, but others, the Pharisees, the leading teachers of the time, are suspicious. They wonder if all this is a plant to advance the work of evil. Matthew tells us that Jesus continues his ministry, unencumbered by what we might call “the Haters.” Instead, moved with compassion for the people, he followed God’s call. In a paraphrase of Maya Angelou’s wisdom, “nevertheless, he persisted.” And his faith in God’s plan eventually changed world. How cool is that?

Jesus laments the scarcity of laborers for the harvest. That’s our call to step up. What might we do? Vote? Serve? Pray? Volunteer? Unlike our biblical forebears, we have so many options. As some would say, “You do you!” Listen for God’s voice, explore your calling(s), find what that is, and do you! God’s plan includes every one of us contributing in all the myriad ways our gifts provide.