Daily Reading: 9 September

(from www.christianaid.org.uk)

We are all made in the image of God. 

Something to read

The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord is the maker of them all.

- Proverbs 22:2 from full reading Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23..

Something to think about

This reading picks up on a common theme in the Bible. We hear many times that those who are rich need to take care of people living in poverty, and that they have a special responsibility not to abuse their power. Here, this important verse tells us why.

Poor and rich alike are made in the image of God. We all share God’s life, and at life’s end we all return to God. Therefore, we need to respect one another as equal members of God’s creation, and we can learn from one another about the God whose love is alive in us all.

One of Christian Aid’s great strengths is that we share stories of people living in poverty around the world with you, our supporters in the UK. As you read the stories of people like Falmata and Samira, displaced by Boko Haram in Nigeria, remember that the Lord is the maker of us all, and that we are all created with God-given dignity.

Something to do

Look out in the media for images or stories about people living with poverty. Ask yourself whether this material is sufficiently respectful of these people as part of God’s creation. If not, are there ways you could communicate your concern to others?

Something to pray

Lord, help me to remember that everyone I meet today
is wonderfully made in your image.
Help me to make this real through the way I behave
towards my sisters and brothers,
and the way I share your good gifts with them.
Amen.

Today’s contributor is the Rev Dr Caroline Wickens, Superintendent of the Manchester Circuit of the Methodist Church at the time of writing.