What Does God Require of Us?

When sending out Air Force bombers, a former president used to say they were going out “to do the Lord’s work.” Religious people are often too sure that they know God’s will in a specific situation. This happens with people on both sides of the aisle, so to speak. So-called liberals too easily identify the will of God with our own cultural values or national policy. And so-called fundamentalists are sometimes too sure of what the will of God is as they appeal to a literally inspired Bible, and are too confident that their understanding of God’s will should be translated into political policy. Such certainty recently prompted a former Christian minister to commit murder at an abortion clinic, arguing that it was a case of murder to prevent murder.

But just what does God require of us? A favorite quotation from the Bible, found in the book of the prophet Micah, addresses this issue of ethics:

“What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

(Micah 6:8, New Revised Standard Version)