Years ago I collaborated with a small group of peacemakers to form a nonprofit agency committed to providing conflict resolution services to our community.  Those were heady days as we worked to define our mission and core values.  We were discerning how our limited resources could have the most impact for our community and not simply talk a good game.  One of our wise founders said you can easily understand a person’s values by examining their calendar and their bank account.  We used this wisdom to bring our mission to life.

I was reminded of this simple lesson as I read today’s Gospel from Matthew.  Jesus teaches that we must both hear the word of God and act on those words to enter the Kingdom of heaven.  It is not enough to study the word and simply proclaim it.  We must live the words through our actions.

The combination of the pandemic and the global cry for racial justice is providing the opportunity for us to each examine how we are bringing our values to action.  Jesus calls us to ensure our values are aligned with his teachings.  And he uses the metaphor of building a home as he implores us to build our home on rock so we can withstand all of the challenges and temptations of our secular world.

Today in prayer I ask for God’s support in exploring these questions:  Are my deeply held values grounded in the teaching of Jesus? Do I spend my time and money in alignment with these values?  How can I push myself to go beyond my comfort zone as Jesus so gracefully modeled throughout his life?   When I feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problems we face, how can I act in an impactful way?

Spending my gifts to act on the will of God is a rock solid plan.