Devotion - Thursday, October 25

For about a week, the appointed readings from the Old Testament have been from Hosea.  I am a bit surprised that I have not written about these, in that Hosea has always moved me and challenged me to ponder the depth of my devotion.

The basic plot  is that God tells his prophet, Hosea, to take a woman of harlotry as his wife.  This he does.  Her name is Gomer.  For a while, things go okay.  They have children.  But then her old ways return, she leaves Hosea, and returns to her prostitution.  Hosea goes in pursuit of her, to bring her back to the home where he and the children are waiting.

The life of the prophet is a parallel for the life of Israel and its relationship with God.  Even though God has been faithful and loving the one whom he sought has abandoned him.  Israel has turned from God and played the harlot with those who are not her God.

In our over-sex society, we read references to sexual activity and we tend to think about the sex only.  But the stories in the Bible understand than sexual activity is about loyalty and faithfulness.  It isn't simply a matter of who would share Gomer's bed.  At issue is to whom would she give her allegiance.  Many of the images in the Bible which speak of infidelity are addressing the issue of idolatry.

What we do with our bodies matters.  When God claims us in baptism, God claims all of us and all of who we are.  

Gomer's harlotry was an easy way for Hosea (and God) to speak of how the chosen one turned from God.  But playing the harlot is also what we do when we fail to use the gifts God has given us to serve those whom God loves.  When we occupy ourselves with watching TV and never set aside time to feed the hungry or clothe the naked.

Hosea's whole life is consumed with with pain associated of pledging oneself to God, then turning from God.  Too often, our lives are filled with pain because we make the same, poor choices.  We choose the bread which cannot satisfy, rather than the Bread of Life.