Faith Formation: Micah - Justice, Kindness, humility

He has shown you, O mortal. what is good, and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

Kindness from the dictionary is the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate. Synonyms include, goodwill, affection, warmth, gentleness, tenderness, concern, care, helpfulness, thoughtfulness, selflessness, altruism, compassion, sympathy, understanding, benevolence, hospitality, patience and decency. The very breadth of definition and synonyms ought to make the point. These are the qualities of character we bring to our relationships with friend and stranger.

But, kindness, even loving kindness, does not fully illuminate the Hebrew word "hesed" that Micah uses here and is used throughout the Hebrew scriptures. The deeper sense of the word includes, loyalty, faithfulness, and mercy. Usage of the word (32 times) really ramps up in the Psalms as "steadfast love." This is "love that will not let me go." "Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. ... How precious is your steadfast love, O God. All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings." Psalm 36:5-7. "Hesed" is the faithful, steadfast love and relationship that happens in deep friendships and marriage. It can be counted on. I cares for the other as much as if not more than it cares for the self. It is the love and faithfulness that God promises to the world created for life, and particularly to the people God call's God's own.

Hesed is not a one way faithfulness. Hesed is relational, binding together those who are others to each each other. It combines both the ideas of "steadfast" and "love." The deepest offense it the breaking or ignoring of this in the relationship between God and God's people. Hosea lamented the loss of hesed on the part of God's people towards God who kept hesed with them. "What shall I do with you , O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love (hesed) is like a morning cloud, like dew that goes away early." Hosea 6:4 "Hear the word of the LORD, O people of Israel, for the LORD has an indictment of the land. There is no faithfulness or loyalty (hesed) and no knowledge of God in the land. Swearing, lying, and murder, and stealing and adultery break out; bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns, and all who live in it languish, together with the wild animals and the birds of the air, even the fish of the sea are perishing." Hosea 4:1-2 When loving kindness, steadfast love and faithfulness, hesed, is forgotten or ignored all creation suffers.

To "love kindness" is the translation of the phrase. More, it is to love faithfulness, the commitments we make to one another, the promises we seek to keep, the trust we need from one anther and others need from us. Mark Twain said, "Heaven is based on favor. If it was based on merit your dog would make it in but you would not." Favor, mercy, grace are the steadfast love, kindness, mercy, faithfulness of God to us that saves us from here to eternity. God seeks the same from us, and from us for each other.

Do Justice. Love Kindness (Hesed). Walk humbly with your God.

Pastor Tim Bauer