Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world.”
NL Daily Devotion for Tuesday, May 12, 2026
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
If only we could stop murmuring and arguing. Honestly, that seems to be the nature of our entire public discourse in the US and around the world. We are less and less interested in taking care of what’s in front of us—especially our neighbors in need—and more and more interested in “owning” our ideological opponents. The meteoric rise of hateful rhetoric made possible by our generally anonymous online platforms seems to have erased our human capacity for open-mindedness, generosity, objectivity, and cooperation. Thus, progress squeals to a deafening halt and we doomscroll through an endless string of takedowns and comebacks and the vilification of everyone who disagrees with us.
Paul would have something to say to us. Lots of things. But mostly this: “Stop it.” Notice that the verse begins with the words “Do all things” without murmuring or arguing. Not “think about all things” not “contemplate all things” not “devise how your way of fixing things will be superior.” DO. I have a feeling that if we all had something constructive to do (and believe me, there is plenty that needs doing in the care and keeping of our neighbors, our communities, our environment, etc.) we would be a lot less prone to sit in our ivory towers and criticize. If we want to “shine like stars in the world” we need to get out there and do things that boldly reveal the light of Christ in our midst.
How can I engage thoughtfully with neighbors and let go of needing to be right on social media?
