Today, in the church calendar, we celebrate the baptism of Jesus. I was going to speak about this, but God had a different plan for me. The message is a tough one. So, please bear with me.
Now that we’re through the holidays, it is time to get back to what we were doing before the distraction of Thanksgiving and Advent and Christmas and New Years. In a recent conversation with a friend she commented on how nice it was to have the holiday chaos to talk about instead of the prevailing post election doom. The holidays seemed to be a diversion to reality.
Where is God?
Where is God in these really tough and scary times? We seem to be forever arguing among ourselves about how the world in general and our country in particular has gone to hell in a hand-basket. In examining the community conversation, the biggest arguments are about what is more important: your idea of how things should be, or my idea of how things should be. And if I’m honest with myself I think that my ideas are more important. I wonder if you have engaged in any of these arguments?
- Popular vote vs Electoral College
- The economy vs the environment
- Bleeding heart liberals vs raging conservatives
- Healthcare for all vs our right to choose
- Entitlements vs personal responsibility
- Safe sanctuary vs national security
And the list goes on. We could add arguments about our schools or our religion. I’ve thought a lot about this. We often refer to these times as “reality” or as having deep concern. I think what underlies all of this is fear. We are engaged in a time of fear-mongering. And in the midst of all this reality and deep concern comes the question “Where is God?”
Where is God?
We seem so far away from the words spoken by the angels to the shepherds just a few weeks ago.
“Don’t be afraid! Listen! I bring good new, news of great joy, news that will affect all people everywhere. Today in the city of David, a Liberator has been born to you! ” (Luke 2: 10-11)
Remember those words? It is like we flipped the switch on January 1. We turned the light off and have gone back to reality – far removed from the Christ child who came to give us hope, promise, love, and joy.
Where is God?
Our Old Testament reading is a giant clue. God is everywhere and in everything. When I ask kids at camp where they see God, it is always in the trees and the wildlife and the creek and the sky and the stars and the sun. And occasionally, they will say friends. God is everywhere and yet we still want proof. The concluding dialogue from one of the Hallmark Christmas movies was: “Proof is easy. The harder thing is having faith.” Proof is all around us and yet we still ask “Where is God.” And we still fear.
Where is God?
I learned a long time ago that the only antidote for fear is faith. And like you, I don’t always practice this truth. The source of our faith is the Holy Spirit that lives and moves within each of each of our souls. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said:
“But you do know the Spirit because He lives with you, and He will dwell in you. I will never abandon you…” (John 14: 17b-18a)
And yet, we still fear. And we are still wondering where God is. We look in all the wrong places for the proof of God’s presence. No wonder we are often disappointed. And God is as near as our beating heart. No matter what little corner of our heart we have hidden God, He is always there for us to draw on when we need. I was talking with a fellow spiritual seeker about mercy. She spoke of mercy in a way I hadn’t heard before – or at least hadn’t taken in before – and it really resonated with me. She said about mercy: that God doesn’t get rid of the pain (suffering and bad things), but is with us in the pain (suffering and bad things).
This is the message I want you to hear today.
So long as the Holy Spirit lives within each of us, we do not need to be afraid. Bad things will always happen – it is the history of humankind. What remains – also a part of our human history – is that God is always with us. He resides in our hearts and has promised to never leave us. Let us lean on our faith, not on our fears. Faith always wins.