Devotion - Thursday, January 21

In the Daily Appointed Readings, there is no intentional correlation between the readings from Old Testament, epistle and Gospel.  But today I felt there was one.

From Genesis 11 I read the story of the confusing of languages.  The "sons of men" had decided to build a tower to the heavens in order to "make a name" for themselves.  God confuses their languages and scatters them across the earth.

From John 4 I read the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.  Jesus speaks to her, though she is a woman and though she is from Samaria (the Jews did not think much of the Samaritans.)

After his death, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to guide his followers.  We read of this in Acts 2.  The confusion in Genesis is set aside by Jesus who does not want our confusion of language to be compounded by a confusion of purpose and hope.

We are too often divided.  We are separated and at odds with one another.  We are not the sisters and brothers God hopes we will be.  All of this is remedied when that Spirit comes into our lives and when God's presence allows us to see one another not as stranger and enemy but as another child of God.