A Briarpatch Reflection on Micah 6:8
Micah’s words are some of the clearest in all of Scripture. There is no elaborate argument, no complicated theology, no religious performance. The prophet simply speaks the truth with quiet force: “He has told you, O mortal, what is good.”
That word mortal matters. Micah is speaking to ordinary human beings—fragile, finite, imperfect people. Not saints carved in stone, not spiritual heroes, just mortals. Dust and breath. People trying to live faithfully in a complicated world. And Micah tells us that God has not left us guessing about what matters most. God has already shown us what is good.
So what does the Lord require of us?
Micah does not say God requires endless ritual or perfect doctrinal certainty. He does not say God requires spiritual showmanship. He gives us something far simpler, and far more demanding: to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God.
To do justice means that faith cannot remain private. Justice is what love looks like when it enters the world. It means paying attention to those who are vulnerable. It means telling the truth. It means refusing cruelty. It means standing with those whom society pushes aside. Justice is not an abstract idea. It is something lived, something practiced, something embodied. A community like The Briarpatch Congregation is called to be a place where justice is not just spoken of, but pursued.
Micah also tells us to love kindness. Not merely to occasionally be kind, but to cherish kindness, to delight in it, to let it shape the way we move through the world. Kindness is not weakness. It is strength expressed gently. In a culture that rewards harshness and outrage, kindness becomes a form of holy resistance. It is one of the clearest signs that the Kingdom of God is near.
And finally, Micah calls us to walk humbly with our God. Humility keeps us grounded. It reminds us that we are not the center of the story. We are not saviors. We are companions on the road. We walk with God, step by step, learning as we go. Humility keeps justice from becoming self-righteousness and keeps kindness from becoming shallow sentimentality. It roots everything in grace.
Micah 6:8 is simple enough for a child to memorize, and deep enough for an entire life of discipleship. Do justice. Love kindness. Walk humbly.
This is what God requires. Not more religion. More mercy. More courage. More compassion. More humility.
May The Briarpatch Congregation be the kind of community that takes this seriously. May our faith be known not by spectacle, but by kindness. Not by power, but by justice. Not by certainty, but by humble walking with God.
And may our lives leave behind quiet footprints of love wherever we go.
Let us pray.
God of justice and mercy,
you have shown us what is good.
Teach us to do justice with courage,
to love kindness with sincerity,
and to walk humbly with you each day.
Make our community a place of compassion,
where the vulnerable are protected,
where truth is spoken in love,
and where mercy is practiced as a way of life.
Keep us from pride and harshness.
Keep us from indifference and fear.
Give us the steady grace
to follow Jesus in the ordinary steps of our walk.
May our lives leave quiet footprints of peace,
and may your Kingdom come among us
through simple acts of justice, kindness, and humility.
We ask this in the Name of Christ,
the One who walks beside us always.
Amen.
Go now in peace,
to do justice with courage,
to love kindness with joy,
and to walk humbly with your God.
May Christ guide your steps,
may the Spirit soften your heart,
and may your life become a blessing
to all you meet.
And the blessing of God Almighty:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
be upon you and remain with you always.
Amen.