Someone, Somewhere

Hebrews 2:1-10
I am always amused by this particular passage in our reading from Hebrews today. “Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere, ‘What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them?’” (Hebrews 2:5-6). Frankly it sounds like something I would say, especially if I was feeling too lazy to confirm that as a quote from Psalm 8:4. Recently in a sermon I mistakenly referred to Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken” as “The Road Less Traveled.” I was sure I had the right title, so sure that I didn’t take the 30 seconds necessary to verify it on Google. Fortunately, the English teachers in my congregation were gentle in their comments.

The writer of Hebrews did not have the luxury of Google, of course, and may not have been sure of the exact source. But no matter! The verse quoted is apt and to the point, which I think helps to highlight an important aspect of scripture’s power. Scripture does not gain its authority from our mastery of it. This is God’s word; it comes to us with its authority already in tact, its relevance already assured. This is why we wrestle with and allow ourselves to be engaged by passages like those from Hebrews and the book of Psalms, because it is there that we find God’s word for us and for the world. A too-easy comfort with such verses, to me, indicates an unwillingness to be fully impacted by what God is saying. Scripture is hard work, it is long study, it is on-going conversations, it is prayer and reflection, it is honest disagreement and an open examination of preconceived notions. It stands up to and rewards our toughest questions with resilience and strength.

The writer of Hebrews had a message for God’s people. So did the psalmist. But the power of their words comes from God’s Spirit working in and through them. A breezy familiarity with scripture keeps us from appreciating the wondrous power at work there. To me it is far more important to honestly wrestle with words of scripture than to pass by them quickly or with blasé familiarity.

Prayer: Lord, give us ears to hear your word even as we wrestle with its meaning for our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Finding God in Creation

Romans 1:16-25

Among theologians there is a difference of opinion as to whether or not one can come to know God through creation—the beauty of a sunset, for example—as opposed to what is revealed in scripture. I don’t intend to enter into that debate, but I do find interesting what Paul has to say in our reading from Romans today.

Paul's purpose is to show that unbelievers have no excuse in denying the presence of God. “Ever since the creation of the world,” he writes, “(God’s) eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made” (Romans 1:20). Remember the words of Psalm 8: “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them” (Psalm 8:3-4)? There is something to that, of course. What power on earth could ever create the sort of beauty and wonder that we see everyday of our lives? How could there not be a God?

And then comes a tsunami.

If God really is responsible for creation, if God really does bring all that is into existence, why would we as human beings be subjected to such a "natural" disaster, such horror in the created order? The easy way around that question is to say, “I don’t know.” And that is the truth. But there is more to it, for in times of disaster, times of loss and pain, God’s presence is still known, still evident if invisible. Note the concern for the people of Japan that has risen up in the days since the earthquake. Remember the generous acts of kindness shown. Think of the courage and the bravery that many have displayed working to save the lives of others. Consider the ways that science has worked to reduce the damage that may have been done by such a catastrophe in decades past. Yes, nature presents us with horrible events. But God’s grace remains active in the lives and gifts of people like you and me.

In the days since the tsunami someone in Japan has read my blog on a number of occasions. I have no way of knowing who, of course, but I hope and pray that I have offered even the smallest amount of comfort. If I have, then surely that is a sign of God’s grace as well for which I take no credit.

Prayer: O God, bless those who suffer this day with the knowledge of your presence, and open the hearts and hands of all people, that generosity may flow and compassion be shared. Amen.