Circumspection

"He has told you, O man, what is good;

And what does the LORD require of you

But to do justice, to love kindness,

And to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8, NASB)

When I read this a few days ago, my head was still full of seeing a glimpse at how The Simple Way lives out economic justice, kindness and humility before their neighbors in the Kensington neighborhood of North Philadelphia. God is there and I've even wondered at how the neighborhood has changed in the last decade since God moved in.

But what caught my eye in my Bible was that the word humbly can be interpreted also as circumspectly. That prompted me to look it up because it's not a word I use or even hear every day. When I saw it broken down, it just made sense: circum comes from the same root as circle and circumference. So you can probably decipher that is has something to do with being round or around. Spect is derived from the same root where we get the word spectacles (as in eye glasses) or a spectacle (as in "that was a sight to see"). When I put them together, circumspect could mean I'm looking around.

The official definition is watchful and discreet; cautious; prudent; well-considered. Of course those fit...but I'm more inclined to like my hodge-podge definition from the root derivatives.

What does God require of me? Justice for those who need it (whether they deserve it or not) because I will love them kindly which I will be enabled to do when I am looking around for what God is doing. It seems like such a simple answer, but will take each of us a lifetime of concerted effort to achieve...and only then by His grace, power and Love.

Amen!