By David Anderson of Salem, Oregon, USA

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery….

In Exodus 20, God yearns for us to flourish in sacred relationship. The Ten Commandments are not just rules—they are God’s invitation for connection with us and to each other. I admit, sometimes I miss that invitation. I get caught up in the busyness of life, and I forget to enjoy the gift of real connection.

I hate being late—I’d rather be fifteen minutes early than just one minute behind schedule. As a mission center president, I traveled three to four hours on Sunday mornings to preach at different congregations. I always planned extra time for traffic and comfort breaks so I would arrive early.

One Sunday morning, I was driving to a church about 120 miles from home. True to my habit, I left with plenty of time to spare. Our topic that day was peace—God’s shalom. Thirty minutes into the drive, my wife and I stopped for a quick coffee at McDonald’s. The drive-thru had a few cars, so I decided to go inside. Just before I reached the counter, a firefighter and his wife stepped in ahead of me. I thought, “No problem.” I checked my watch and was still ahead of schedule. But they couldn’t decide what to order. They joked and talked, taking far too long. I grew more and more impatient, thinking to myself, “Come on, hurry up! I need to get to church!”

Then they started fumbling for cash—first his, then her purse, which had so many pockets. Every penny seemed to take forever to find. Even the young waitress took her time, chatting happily with them. Finally, my irritation boiled over. I nearly yelled, “Let’s just get the order—stop being so friendly!”

That moment struck me deeply. There I was, perturbed at three kind people who were sharing warmth and joy with one another. They were showing the very peace I was meant to preach. Today’s scripture reminds us that God desires authentic and loving relationships. May we become more open to and aware of this wonderful invitation.

Prayer Phrase

“Let us work for the good of all” (Galatians 6:10).

Spiritual Hunger

Jesus discerned hungers of body and spirit, and he fed them through a physical, verbal, spiritual ministry of presence. In a time of listening prayer, ask God to help you discern physical or spiritual hungers of people in your congregation, community, and global family. Invite the Spirit to move you to one hospitable act that “feeds” someone’s hunger today.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.