Lot pleads with the men of Sodom not to act so wickedly. The plea names the act for what it is — wickedness — and calls for restraint. The moral clarity of the naming is good; the effectiveness of the naming is zero. 2 Peter 2:8 describes Lot as a righteous man tormented in his soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard day after day. His torment is real; his influence is minimal. The application: it is possible to know what is right, to be tormented by what is wrong, and to be entirely unable to change it — and to remain in the place that torments you rather than leave it. Lot's righteousness is real; his choices about where to live have undermined its effectiveness. Personal righteousness and community faithfulness require each other.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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