Not much has changed in human nature in the last two millennia. Jesus’ rebuke to Peter, “For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things,” convicts our hearts just as it did Peter’s. We know we focus our time and attention on power, prestige, money, the things our culture says are worth pursuing, the things that will ensure we end up with the most toys. Competition reigns supreme thereby indicating there are always winners and losers, that there is not enough to go around for each and all. The fear that grips our hearts coming from concentrating on human things is that if we don’t keep on our toes, we’ll end up with nothing.

Divine things, on the other hand, are available in abundance. Our Creator God has brought forth you and me, this fragile earth our island home, the entire cosmos—all creation is divine, of God, given by God. Wherever we are, whatever we’re doing, we are surrounded and upheld and sustained by the Holy One with all the varied aspects of creation, animal, vegetable, mineral. We can trust God’s providential care to see us through whatever life sends our way. The Beloved’s transforming, sanctifying, deifying work in our lives enables us to accept the divine Reality of what is and respond with gratefulness and love.

As we pray our collect for today, we ask God to “mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts” so that we may continually focus our hearts and minds on divine things rather than human things.