by Carolyn Burhans
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8 NIV)
While the tone of Micah 6 may sound judgmental, it is also instructional and a call to repent. Micah is presenting the Lord’s case against Israel following an extensive period of time in which He demonstrated kindness and mercy while the people took things for granted and did not express thankfulness. It seems the second great commandment to love your neighbor as yourself was not being followed. Most likely some whining and complaining was going on, too. So what is the relevance of Micah 6:8 for us today? Where do we begin to identify the trials and tribulations of our 2019 world? One wonders how much longer God will be patient with the social divisions so evident in our lives. The polarization, prejudice, and violence must bring tears of sadness to our Lord. How might repenting and changing our ways look in today’s society? It always helps to begin with prayer; a prayer where we seek forgiveness for any indiscretion committed to benefit ourselves. Have I stopped speaking to my neighbor or a friend because of divergent political views? Was all of the information on the table when I formed that business partnership or was something concealed? After church, did I reach out to the new person in attendance or did I choose to hang out with my friends? What would have been a Micah 6:8 way to handle these situations? The next step is to take action that is consistent with the Christian mindset. To “act justly” means that we engage in living truthfully, without hyperbole, and aligned with the biblical standard of righteousness. It’s who we are when no one is looking. To “love mercy” is to reveal God to those around you. Loving mercy by showing kindness to someone does not mean that we accept an injustice. Rather, mercy is what we show in the face of insults, disappointment, rejection or neglect. Mercy is also what we hope to receive when we inflict similar actions upon others. Lastly, to “walk humbly” with God involves acknowledging God as the creator of all things, including us! God is the great respecter of the lives he makes and we should value each life as he does. Everything I am and all that I have originate from God, not me. Walking humbly with God makes it much easier to act justly and to love mercy. As a Christian, it is a privilege to demonstrate to a confused world what it looks like to fulfill the meaning of Micah 6:8. We all need to be that Christian!