Contemplative Bible Reading

Isaiah 58:6-7 (New Living Translation)

6 “No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
and remove the chains that bind people.
7 Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

Here is what God values: (pardon the bullets)

• Free those who are in prison unjustly
• Lessen the burdens of workers
• Free the oppressed
• Remove what binds people
• Share food with the hungry
• Give shelter to the homeless
• Clothe the needy
• Be present for those who need help

Summary: be just and feed, clothe, and shelter others.

Pretty simple, huh? Now, give someone else a blank sheet of paper and a pencil and ask, “Please, write on this paper what you think I value.”
oooops, the result may not be pretty.