Environmental Stewardship Commission
(MEESC)

Reflection on Micah 6: 1-8
by John G. Gibbs, PhD

Bringing the Common Good "Before the Lord"

The divorce between private and public life cuts both ways. It is not only personal life that requires attention, but also the common good. That was the prophet Micah’s position 27 centuries ago when he answered the question: "With what shall I come before the Lord?"

Then and now that is the question. "What is good" (Micah 6:8), then and now? What happens when doing social justice is cut off from private pious words? The economy prospers, but "your wealthy are full of violence" (6:12). Public marketplaces have "wicked scales and a bag of dishonest weights" (6:11). People think they can "better" themselves with amoral financial transactions, forgetting "the saving acts of the Lord" (6:5). Even the mountains and hills that are polluted by such a culture hear that "the Lord has a controversy with his people" (6:2).

What do we bring to God? Actions, actions that "do justice." Actions that forgive as we have been forgiven: "love mercy." Actions that are genuine and without hypocritical pretense: "walk humbly with your God" (6:8). Those are the deeds of "the good life," deeds that build a community out of the common good, deeds in "a day for the building of your walls" (7:11). The community that does those deeds is creative in problem-solving, forgiving sins, and moving on, moving on "to beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks" (4:3).

John G. Gibbs, PhD, a retired theologian, attended Trinity Episcopal Church, Park Rapids, MN, when he originally wrote this reflection in 1999.  He and we welcome your comments. Please address your comments or additional reflections to John Gibbs or any MEESC member, or mail them to: