"And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another . . . ." - Hebrews 10:24-25
Have you ever heard someone say, "I was provoked"? Sometimes you hear it as a defense after a fight: "He provoked me!" The idea is that whatever response came next, it was somehow justified. That's why I've always thought of "being provoked" as something negative, or as an attempted excuse for violence. Because at the end of the day, you can't blame someone else for your own bad behavior. But what about the other side? What about being provoked to do good? The author of Hebrews tells their readers that they can "provoke one another to love and good deeds". They can be encouragers who gather in community to lift one another up. But for too many of us, the spiritual journey is one that is walked in isolation. And without the loving provocation of good people of faith, the angry provocations of a harsh world can be overwhelming. And so our job as followers of Christ in community is to provoke one another with kindness, with compassion, with loving challenges, and with encouragement. Because ours is a provocative faith, in the very best sense of the word.
Prayer: O God, provoke me, that I may provoke others, and that we may provoke the world. Amen
