Rachel Pinder

Micah 6:8

He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

This is one of my favourite Bible passages because it is utterly practical and it sums up how we should live our lives on a daily basis. I particularly like the reference to “kindness” (which is why I like this translation in the RSV) as this quality is often overlooked or denigrated, but may often involve just not just the big things but more especially the small simple acts which everyone can do.
The previous few verses explain that the people of Israel want to lives their lives rightly and to make atonement for their sins but cannot think of anything that is acceptable to God for payment for their sins. In that respect, we as Christians have a great advantage and know that Jesus has paid the price for us.
However, that does not remove from us the responsibility to live our lives as God wants us to. The passage from Micah is addressed to each of us as individuals (“O man” – or woman! – not “O nation” or whatever other group), and it is our individual responsibility to carry out these simple but profound steps in how we live our lives each day, which will then influence both us and our wider community.
That sounds a bit pompous I think. Sorry. I can only say that each day I try and each day I know I fail in some way– but I must keep on trying!