Deuteronomy 7:1-11
Focusing on 3-4: Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn our children away from following me to serve other gods, and the Lord's anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you.
This is a passage I particularly struggled with. I personally immediately drew a parallel to my social life. As a Christian, I have always defended my right to have non-Christian friends and have taken pride in my ability to maintain a mutual respect with a diverse group of friends. This passage raises for me, many questions about what sort of boundaries are appropriate and necessary for the Christian in a pluralistic society.
This meditation leaves me with more questions than answers. "Do I, as a single adult, have to be cautious in who I choose to date?" "How do I keep myself from compromising my identity as a child of God will mixing with a diverse crowd?" "How can I exercise this caution falling into prejudicial suspicion?" "How am I influencing and how am I being influenced?"
I think this passage will continue to remind me to seek God's help so that I can more fully love others. Instead of just enjoying people, I want to make sure that the I am attentive to God's leading while I am with others. I want to pray so that I will believe that following the Holy Spirit's leading will enrich my social life rather than causing it to wither.
