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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion April 1, 2006 The New Covenant is based on Christ’s death |
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FRONTLINE DEVOTION for
Saturday, April 1, 2006 by Susan Hill
John
12:20-33
How do you handle adversity? Most of us are pretty brave most of the time. We live in hope for better days. For the most part, we accept life’s ups and downs as the pure nature of things and know we can’t escape the pain and suffering that happens all around us. So, we cope; we fight back; we work through the bad times.
Sometimes, however, despite our best efforts, we cannot be stoic or serene. We become enraged and overcome by the compounded brokenness of our lives or the lives of those we love, or by the deep sorrows of this weary world in general. I think it is these times that the writer of John calls “darkness.” When the darkness prevails, it’s like a pit that entombs us or like the infamous, menacing “black dog” that lurks in the corner of the room or the crushing load of sorrow that negates our ability to thrive – to experience joy in living.
One way to combat times of deep darkness is to look for the light. God’s creation is life and light, and it’s always there waiting for us to discover it and to revel in it. There’s a journaling discipline called “Les petits fleurs” – the little flowers. By writing down the little things that touch or move us during the day, we are led to focus more directly on the blessings God provides for us. It’s a way to recognize God’s constant presence so we might not remain, unredeemed, in our own darkness.
It’s ironic that God is all around but is so hard to recognize. Even Jesus, the Light of the World, the miracle worker and purveyor of signs of God’s grace, was not recognized as God’s Son by those who shared time and place with Him. He was rejected and crucified. Darkness prevailed when he died, but once again, ironically, the gospel writer tells us that God chose that darkness, that death, to glorify Jesus who saved us and perpetuated God’s covenant with us.
This is all very perplexing, but we are called to live in faith. When life is hard, faith in Jesus reminds us that darkness too bears fruit. When we live in faith, we sit amidst ashes like Job and expect to ultimately find meaning from God. Anne Lamott’s book, Traveling Mercies, brings this concept down to earth. She writes, “…[L]ives and hearts get broken … the world sometimes feels like the waiting room of the emergency ward and … we who are more or less OK for now need to take the tenderest possible care of the more wounded people in the waiting room, until the healer comes.” This, I think, is a covenanted, faithful way of living; a way for us to deal with darkness while sharing the light of God that lives and shines in each one of us. To God be the glory!
Dear Jesus, bring your light into our darknesses so that we may give up our fears and share in God’s love and mercy. Strengthen our faith and encourage our living. Bring us the peace of your presence in all we do in life and in death. Amen.
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All are welcome to join and share in our Devotional Ministry on the "Frontlines" of the world. Frontline Devotions are sent via email daily. Sign up by clicking on the box to the left. Pastor Dave welcomes feedback. Contact him at pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org. |
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