We continue our trip through the Bible with today’s reading from Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament in our Protestant Bible. We’re using Malachi as a lens to examine what we’ve learned about the character of God to this point. Malachi is speaking to the people after they have returned to Jerusalem from exile, and, yet, they are not following God as they should. Malachi speaks out against the people for various things, like neglecting the least and most vulnerable. But Malachi also offers a word of hope as God calls the people back, telling them that if they follow God they will have another chance. Throughout the scriptures we’ve read, the people have repeatedly turned away from God for which there are consequences, but God does not turn away from them, encouraging them to return. Malachi assures the people that God will always be there for them, and they are always called to return. As with those ancients, God is not finished with us, and we must open ourselves to God.