Have you had your Micah Moment yet?

And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

Ever since my son Micah was born there have been so many key moments in his life that will probably stay with me forever. The first time he smiled at me. When he first responded to the sound of my voice. And that feeling you get when he first grabs the finger on the end of your hand. I am loving having these Micah Moments every day.

When we read about the original Micah in the Bible, we find that he is a little less cute and cuddly than my baby boy of the same name. In fact he was a border line revolutionary. Yet like my 6 month old, he was born into a time of great injustice fuelled by merciless and prideful men.

The keynote speech of this small town messenger, found in Micah 6:8, is that God wants us to be a generation who a) act justly, b) love mercy and c) walk humbly with God.

Justice... To act justly is to work for right relationships and fairness for all, especially the most vulnerable. Micah calls us to consider justice as a major form of obedience to God.

Mercy... To love mercy is to walk alongside those who suffer, showing faithfulness, forgiveness, generosity and compassion. Mercy is at the core of Micah’s life and we are challenged to be the same.

Humility... To walk humbly with God is to be serious about pursuing ongoing spiritual growth and discipleship. It is about denying pride and arrogance whilst embracing trust (not my will be done) as a way of life. Micah compels us to consider our own humility in the light of God’s will.

These three intertwined values form a web by which we begin to catch out the injustice we see in the world and we find in ourselves. As we begin to look more into what it means to lead the life of a liberator, I pray you and I will see that true worship is more than singing the song of the hour but hearing the cries of the oppressed.

I am looking forward to a time when we all begin to have Micah Moments every day. When we will seek to bring a smile to the face of the broken hearted. When we will become a voice to the voiceless. And when we will lend a hand to those in need without always pointing the finger. As we look at the words of Micah afresh, may we become pregnant with a hope that cannot help but give birth to a new form of liberation for our world.