It is a centuries-old truth: what goes around comes around... or is it what comes around goes around? Either way, it's a form of karma-- do good and good happens to you. If you want a friend, be a friend... but reality is that we can be good all the time, and still bad things can happen. Our behavior is not a prescript for the experiences of our life. People who do bad things still get to live lives good people only dream about. So what gives? Here's the thing: it's not a zero-sum game. You can be good, righteous, and loving, and still bad things can happen to you, yes. But when you do these things, they're done in the context of relationship. When you feed relationships with love, support, and encouragement, you teach others to show love, support, and encouragement as well. When everyone does that together, when bad things happen, people rally together and help each other through. If you live a life of hate, harming others in your path, when bad times come, who will be there for you? Yes, you can be good and still have bad things happen, but there is truth in the notion of reaping what you sow. So do unto others, because they will do unto you one way or another.
Readings: Obadiah 1:1-21; Revelation 4:1-11; Psalm 132:1-18; Proverbs 29:24-25
