Daily Prayer: a resource of Forward Movement

The Forward Day by Day Meditation for December 31, 1969

We post a Forward Day by Day Meditation for every day of the year - and we invite you to consider them and talk about them here. If you'd like to comment, you can log in to Disqus with your Facebook, Twitter, or Google account; just click "Login," or the appropriate logo below. Or, you can sign up for a Disqus account; just use the entry form below, or click the "D" logo to start the process. You can find the past week's Meditations in the box at right (or below, for mobile users), or search for previous entries on the Archives page. You can also listen to the Forward Day by Day podcast anywhere you find podcasts!

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WEDNESDAY, September 8 [The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary]

Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.

On May 12, 2020, Episcopal Relief & Development published a social media graphic that contained this verse: Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. They released this graphic just two months into the COVID-19 pandemic, two months after the killing of Breonna Taylor, twelve days before the death of George Floyd, and twenty-five weeks before the presidential election. I know this because I shared that graphic on Instagram and then made it my Facebook cover, where it remained for the rest of 2020.

Amid all the pain and trauma, I needed to be reminded that I have made a promise to turn away from self-centered motives and to turn toward Jesus and his way of love. I have committed, with God’s help, to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving my neighbor as myself, and to strive for justice and peace among all people. In other words, I have committed to live out Philippians 2:4, not just on Sundays but on all days. Even when the world seems to be coming apart at the seams. Even on social media.

MOVING FORWARD: Take an honest appraisal of your social media presence.

Pray for the Diocese of Enugu North (Nigeria)

Ps 119:49-72 * 49, [53] | 1 Kings 17:1-24 | Philippians 2:1-11 | Matthew 2:1-12