Scripture Readings: Jeremiah 4.9-10, 19-28 and John 5.19-29
Jeremiah tells his audience to turn away from their
sins and turn back to God. He calls the
people “stiff necked”. They refuse to
learn from their mistakes and misfortune and continue with their stubborn un-God-like
ways. Sound familiar? It does to me… according to Dictionary.com
stiff necked is defined as: stubborn, obstinate, intractable, willful, pigheaded. Yikes…pigheaded. But I must admit stubborn and willful could
be something I relate to.
I like things a certain way in my
home, in my family, my church, my country and my politics. What’s wrong with the way things are, I ask
internally? And things seem to move too
fast and “people’s” priorities seem to be changing. I am uncomfortable and unsure in change. Yet, I know that God is always here with me,
with you, with us. How do I balance my
experience with the change of the future? The answer lies in God and with God
in me and in His community of faith.
The Gospel of John tells us that
Jesus is God in the flesh, born to die as God’s sacrifice for human sin
(interpreted by me as stubborn, willful, and pigheaded). John encourages us to believe in Christ… to
love Christ with our whole heart just as God in Christ loved us. God loved us
enough to send his Son Jesus to die on a cross for us and our willful
ways. We in turn are to love others with
that same sacrificial love… a love that is caring, giving, open, and flexible. Even in troubled times, or when we are stuck
in a negative pattern, we are called as disciples to be love and to act in love
to those around us.
The answer to my dilemma is
within. God is in us, in me and in our
hearts. We need to listen with an open
heart during this time of Lent… a time of listening, waiting and sacrifice. Maybe in the sacrifice we can find openness
and flexibility to let God work in us and among us. This is my prayer.
Christ is the light of the world and
the bread of life; we are called to continue His work today!
Sherrye Bass, Executive Assistant to Dr. Fiedler, Genesis Class member
