Through the lens of Man
The Holiness Code — love your neighbor
Most men I know associate holiness with avoidance. Don’t go there. Don’t watch that. Don’t say that. Don’t do that. Holiness as a list of don’ts.
Leviticus 19 mostly lists do’s.
Leave grain for the poor. Speak honestly. Pay your workers on time. Don’t curse the deaf. Don’t tilt the scales. Don’t cheat. Don’t bear a grudge. Love your neighbor. The chapter is full of action verbs. Holiness shows up in what a man does with his time, his words, his money, his judgment, his memory, his love.
A holy man is not primarily a man who avoids things. He is a man who acts well on his neighbors. He pays workers on time. He doesn’t speak about people behind their backs. He treats the cashier like a human. He doesn’t keep records of wrongs. He notices the disabled, the elderly, the lonely, the immigrant — and acts toward them.
That is holiness with hands.
One small thing today: pick one person you can act on holiness toward today — a coworker, a stranger, someone in your house. Don’t avoid a sin. Do a kindness. Make holiness visible in your fingerprints.