Thursday, July 2, 2015

Freedom from fear, and God’s Presence Among Us

I hear so much about God’s promise to us: about being with us, about loving us, no matter what, about leading us and guiding us into all truth, even about spending eternity with God.  So, what is God’s promise to us all about?  I have decided to look at God’s promise from the perspective of Psalm 130 and see where that takes us.  

                                                4  I wait for the LORD; my soul waits for him;
                                                    In his word is my hope.

                                                6  O Israel, wait for the LORD
                                                    For with the LORD there is mercy.

                                                7  With Him there is plenteous redemption,
                                                    He shall redeem Israel from all their sins. 

For starters, God’s promise is hope, mercy and redemption. Not a bad beginning.  I move on from the Psalm to Marks Gospel, 5:21-43, the interwoven story of Jesus’ healing of the woman with the twelve year flow of blood, and the healing/resuscitation of the synagogue officials 12 year old daughter. Near the end of this double story Jesus tells the people and the parents, “do not fear, only believe.”  Jesus thus adds healing, freedom from fear and belief to God’s promise to us.  We now see in this promise, hope, mercy, redemption from sins, healing, freedom from fear, and belief in God’s presence among us. 

How does this promise change our lives?  God’s Promise gives us a foundation on which to build our lives, on which to grow our faith.  The opening prayer for worship in the Episcopal Church on June 28 states: “ Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you.” 

With this promise, with this foundation we can deal in a healthy way with weeks like we had last week, which was to say the very least, interesting.  We saw the United States Supreme Court decisions that guaranteed the health care supplements in the Affordable Care act and that made marriage legal and equal for all Americans in all states.  We in Alabama saw our governor take down the “Confederate Battle Flag” from the Confederate Memorial on the State Capital Grounds, and the Episcopal Church in the United States has affirmed marriage of same-sex couples as a part of the church’s liturgical and communal life.  Last, but not least, President Obama gave a powerful eulogy for Reverend and Senator Clementa Pinckney, who was among the nine African Americans murdered by a young White Man in Charleston, South Carolina. 

None of these decisions or actions has led to unity of thought, or belief or action.  But, God’s promise was not for unity of belief or thought or actions, but for the Unity of The Spirit!  And all of these actions and decisions bring up important conversations that must be had if we as a people and a nation are to put anger and the hatred produced by that anger behind us, if we are to become the nation and the people we can and must be. 

Many people in our nations are pleased with one or more of these decisions, and many are not pleased at all with any of these decisions.  I believe that it is important to discuss these very important issues with one another with a listening ear. This is especially true when we converse with those with whom we disagree.  Remember the Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us into all truth, usually through our engagement with others who share our life and or faith journey.  Unfortunately this guidance and resolution usually do not arrive as quickly or as simply as most of us would like. 

I have been involved in healthy conversations this week on these issues and I have seen some healthy interchanges on social media in which thoughtful articles were posted and good discussions followed.  I have also observed name calling and posts full of hate and suggestions to “leave if you disagree with me, because it is obvious I am correct and you are not.” I do not believe it is appropriate to post on social media how much one loves Jesus, only to be followed by a post calling the Governor of Alabama names I would not call my worst enemy. 

 If I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was always correct then I might overturn tables as Jesus did.  But, I am not Jesus, and therefore I need your thoughts and ideas and you need my thoughts and ideas.  We need to believe in Jesus’ promise that “I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.” 

As President Obama said in his Eulogy for Reverend/Senator Clementa Pinckney last week, “if we can find that grace, anything is possible, if we can tap into that grace, everything could change. . .That grace shone around the group of people who opened the church doors and invited a stranger to join their prayer circle. “ 

The President went on to remind us of the grace and forgiveness shown by the families of the victims toward the alleged killer.  He talked about how “the city of Charleston, the State of South Carolina and the United States of America responded not merely with revulsion at this evil act, but with big-hearted Generosity and, more importantly with a thoughtful introspection and self-examination that we so rarely see in public life.” 

Finally, President Obama reminded all of us that “we don’t earn grace. We’re all sinners. We don’t deserve it. But God gives it to us anyway.” 

We are called only to receive it and then to allow ourselves to be joined together in unity of spirit by the teaching of the apostles and prophets.  As we are joined together and made holy by this spirit, God uses us to share that spirit with others so that they too will be made holy and that all of us will be acceptable to God. 

“Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come; ‘tis grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”

 

 

 

 

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