Hebrews 11:1-3 8-16
Luke 12:32-40
O World of God words by R.B.Y. Scott and
music by C. Hubert H. Perry / harm. Gordon P.S. Jacob
There was a day when time stood still.
Because I connect time with the movements of the sun these words conjure up faint memories of a science fiction movie remind me of the story of Joshua holding the staff at God's command to stop the sun so that victory is won in battle...
and yet for Christians the words point to a central moment in our collective memory the day of the Atonement the day when Christ died and paradoxically by dying made it possible for believers to live more fully, no longer afraid of death or punishment.
Now in some Christian circles it is no longer acceptable to speak in terms of Atonement because some feel it can be used to justify the abuse of the innocent
but the horror
and the potential for any of God's intentions to be perverted and used to bring about harm does not mean that something is not true.
This reminds me of a human tendency to be willing to love God only if God fulfills our personal criteria for god-ness. But it isn't love is it if we love only that which satisfies or pleases us?
There was a day when time stood still a central moment when there arose a cross upon a cruel hill. There is no denial of the cruelty the evil We have instead the assurance that even when we do the worst we can to other human persons, God can transform and redeem that action. This knowledge of God's power to redeem is not license to do whatever we like
even things we know will bring harm because we know God can bring all things to their healing
rather it is an invitation to sense the cost of redemption - to feel the horror of tortured death feel the mystery of divine love and power recognize God's ability to bring love and new life out of pain and death.
Music is a powerful force that often connects us with our feelings...
and out of feeling comes thought and out of thought comes action.
But too often we bypass thought
Too often we react
-and being wounded and wounding creatures the reactions might have a tendency to bring about further alienation-
yet - if we practice a mindfulness such as Jesus recommends in his parable of the servants being ready for their master's return
-if we have the faith of an Abraham or Sarah -
then our thoughts will be shaped by our relationships with God
and slowly over time we discover ourselves responding not reacting the more we experience God's love and mercy - the more able we are to act with intentionality wanting to pass along the compassion that we ourselves have experienced through our active and healthy relationships with God.
I love the hymn O World of God I love it because it is an act of faith to sing it in a war-torn suffering world -- I love the passion of the words and the stately power of the music - I love it because the poet reminds us of the perspective of the cosmos; we can step back and observe our place in the world the poet reminds us of that central defining moment where within 'pain and death love's power is seen' 'a mystery is revealed'
God has found a way to heal our hurt. It confirms my belief (one that is still new to me in many ways one that continues to be an act of faith - namely) that God's intention has always been for our healing - for our wholeness and joy.
Unlike the Buddhist 'annihilation of desire' attempt to end suffering Christ taught us the desire for God the desire for goodness. What we've misunderstood over the centuries is that the desire for goodness is not about being 'good' it is not about allowing goodness or Christian behaviour to become our pet idol
an idol being that which takes our heart away from our focus on God and God's plans for us...
Unfortunately we've tended to make idols of goodness - of prosperity because we've gotten the idea somehow that being better (I use that word advisedly) than others makes us deserving of God's love - we find it convenient then to judge others and find them lacking...
but this was never God's intention God never told us that we were to be judges over one another....(in fact most of us know that verse in Matthew's Gospel where we are warned off: judge not lest ye be judged also) Scripture tells us there is one Judge and ! coincidently - mysteriously he is also our Advocate and our forgiveness.
The heart of our desire is God this is the intention and hope of Creation. And when we are alienated from our desire separated from the One whom our hearts desire we are
love-sick listless and purposeless -
but, as with human love when we are in conversation with in relationship with God our hearts' desire then there is nothing we will not do in order to show our love we realize that we dare not hurt any whom our Beloved loves also.
Goodness - or blessing - is the by-product of our love and desire to be near to God.
When we love we are willing to risk inconvenience willing to travel far from home willing to trust as if our very lives depend upon it. It is through a loving response to the Divine Loveliness that we are transformed.
And so we anticipate the return of our Beloved. The absence has been too long
have we studied his portrait in Scripture, in sacred song and hymns, in the lives of other believers and kept the love alive?
Will the faith that Jesus placed in us be justified when he returns?
There will be another day when time stands still. We will be transparent before God and ourselves no more glossing over of flaws no more attachment to one type of fault in hopes of distracting ourselves from a more frightening failure in love. Will we believe that all the things which we fear and hate are forgivable? Do we trust the mercy of the Advocate Judge?
Do we have to the courage to welcome the return knowing we must own the whole of who we are trusting in the love which created and therefore understands us?
Be not afraid wait in hope our Beloved comes and in that day when time again stands still, Jesus will bring about the completion of our healing. Thanks be to God.
