14 Welcome the person who is weak in faith—but not in order to argue about differences of opinion. 5 One person considers some days to be more sacred than others, while another person considers all days to be the same. Each person must have their own convictions. 6 Someone who thinks that a day is sacred, thinks that way for the Lord. Those who eat, eat for the Lord, because they thank God. And those who don’t eat, don’t eat for the Lord, and they thank the Lord too. 7 We don’t live for ourselves and we don’t die for ourselves. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to God.
Reflection
In today’s passage, Paul is describing the behaviors of two culturally different groups, chastising them for lacking hospitality as well as admonishing the powerful. I find myself living within a very culturally diverse community in Maryland. Having grown up in northern New Jersey I am very familiar with rapidly changing communities and cultural diversity, but I am
also aware that not everyone welcomes change. Nor does everyone choose to welcome people of cultures other than their own. It is not easy to comprehend the traditions, the foods, the spiritual practices, etc. of a culture other than our own but it is my belief that God added human diversity to the world in the same way God created vast varieties of cats, dogs, birds, fish, etc.
It has been thirty years since we chose where to live rather than being guided by where we worked. This time our options were guided by proximity to family and accessibility as we age. It has been interesting to meet new people and hear about their past and present lives. It has also been interesting to learn about community living. Having had no prior experience with a homeowner association or a condo board we are amid a learning experience, which feels a bit like the strong vs the weak, the powerful vs the powerless. In Romans 14:5b Paul wrote “Each person must have their own convictions.” I find that to be a very valuable lesson in community
living. As we participate in discussions at the condo board meetings, we are discovering what is important to some of us is not so important to others. When we hear how our association dollars are being spent, we question whether it is always a good use of our hard-earned retirement dollars. Our convictions guide our actions and our words no matter where we
reside, whether it is in the year 2024 or at the time of Paul’s letter to the Roman churches.
by Kathleen Stolz
For Pondering and Prayer
Do you enjoy meeting new people? I am somewhat an introvert, so it usually takes me some time to enter a conversation with people I do not know. When we started attending a new church in Maryland, I was interested in joining a Tuesday morning Bible study, but I was hesitant to attend in person. Thankfully the group meets both in person and via Zoom
so I was “safe.” What I realized was that I was not looking for confrontation or disagreements but rather a safe place to listen to others, to meet new people, and to share what God placed on my heart.
Where do you go to meet new people?
What allows you to feel “safe”?
How do you help others feel comfortable?
Prayer: Welcoming God, thank you for creating us as unique beings in your image. Thank you for the diversity of gifts that make each of us who we are. Guide us in learning to accept one another and to appreciate each one for who they are as a distinctive child of God. Help us to love one another as you love each of us. Amen.