Thursday, November 12, 2009

Daily Office Reflection: Why Does God....?

Psalms (83) or 23, 27 * 85, 86; Maccabees 1:1-28; Revelation 19:1-10; Matthew 16:1-12

It is still raining here in DC. We are on day three, with at least another predicted. We are stuck in a trough between different weather patterns colliding around us, or so the meteorologists say. A parishioner told me that they have plans afoot for the weekend where good weather would be optimal, and was worried about the bad weather changing their plans. He asked Why would God do this to me? Why would God let this happen?

These are common questions, regular refrains, many people ask when things do not go as planned, or when bad things happen: illness, death, relationships ending. These are also questions asked when elections turn out a certain way, usually when the tyranny of the majority oppresses a minority. Quite often the majority will point to Scripture as a basis for their decisions, for their vote that marginalizes a minority. And the minority will ask these questions.

We live in hope: hope that God answers our prayers, hope that God will give us the strength to make the Kingdom come, hope that our faith in Jesus' life, death and resurrection will center us to face those hard choices we all have to make and face those hard times. You see, God doesn't "do" these things to us, or "allow" these things to happen to us. Some are forces of nature at work and some are human ignorance, pride, ego at work. We see Jesus warning about the tyranny of the majority when he says Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducces! Jesus battles with them directly, but also goes around them. Some he gets through to, most he does not: but they do not stop him. Nor can they stop us. Jesus did not let them stop him, deter him from his path; nor can we let those same present day Pharisees and Sadducces deceiving the majority deter us, discourage us, give us an excuse to stop.

We live in hope. Jesus came for the minority, the oppressed. God did not put us here. God sent Jesus to lead us out. And out we will come. Our work is not over.
jfd+

Copyright 2009, The Rev. John F. Dwyer. All Rights Reserved.


No comments:

Post a Comment