Be holy because I am holy

Recent renovation work on one of Oxford’s oldest libraries revealed a fragment of a printing plate hidden beneath floorboards bearing Leviticus 19 from the King James Bible. It may not have seen the light of day since the construction of the library in 1677. The passage is intriguing, Leviticus 19 begins by encouraging us to imitate God’s character, ‘Be holy because I am holy.’ This great statement is followed by a series of precepts to help us understand how to do this task. There are three groups of laws: some concern the place of God in our lives, others are about integrity in our relationships with other people and still more encourage a sensitive treatment of nature. Today we are becoming painfully aware that these three concerns are interconnected. Poverty and environmental degradation frequently go together, and the brokenness of the planet is mirrored by brokenness within human society. Overall these issues point to a spiritual malaise in our modern culture.

In finding this printing plate we have an echo of 2 Kings 22 and the story of the rediscovery of God’s Law in the reign of King Josiah. This led to national repentance and revival, with a return to seeking to live according to the mind of God. Might our own hidden treasure found in the heart of Oxford also lead to a rediscovery of God’s heart for his world and a realignment of our lives according to his values.

Revd Margot R Hodson, Chaplain, Jesus College, Oxford.