Wednesday night was “prom night” at the youth group for which I intern. I had to break the law found in Leviticus 19:19 - “nor shall you wear a garment of cloth made of two kinds of material" in order to dress appropriately for the event. For some reason, following this law has made me feel submissive (in a good way) to something larger than myself. I care about what I wear and see it as a creative outlet. To have a simple rule imposed on this area of my life has reminded me that Christ is over all of me.
I am still struggling to be mindful of the people around me enough to stand up when a gray-haired person enters the room. I am anticipating that Sunday I will just have to stand in the back of the sanctuary at church for most of the service. In a discussion with my roommate I had the opportunity to reflect upon where and when I make a conscious decision to block out the presence of other people around me. This has caused me to contemplate seeing a person as an “It” or a “Thou,” from Martin Buber’s book.
Wenham’s commentary on Leviticus 19 was helpful to understand the covenant meaning behind the ban on mixing things such as cloths. Israel “must keep separate what God created separate. As God separated Israel from among the nations to be his own possession, so they must maintain their holy identity by not intermarrying with the nations (Deut. 7:3-6).” God ordained me to be part of His people. I am separate from other human beings because of this distinction. I am able to praise God in this because I love how well He knows His creatures. A sure way to make us remember things is to involve it in the practicalities of daily life. This way, we not only remind our selves but we teach our children and those around us about our identity.
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