Tag: Genesis

Hope – the church’s job

On By fosteringyourfaithIn Living our faith1 Comment

Here is one of the most hopeful phrases in the Bible: “God remembered Noah” (Genesis 8:1).

Think about it. Noah was in an ark surrounded by water. He and his family members were trapped in very cramped quarters with an abundance of animals. This had been going on for months. There was no way out.

There were no signs of relief. As far as he could see, there was water. Just water. No mountains, no trees, no break in the desolation. At some point, Noah must have felt alone, overwhelmed, and forgotten. It seemed like a hopeless situation.

But then – “God remembered Noah.” Noah was not, in fact, alone. He had not been, in fact, forgotten. Yes, the circumstances were dire. Yes, the outlook was grim. But Noah could be heartened by realizing that he did not have to face this desperate, gut-wrenching situation by himself.

One of our jobs as the church is to remind God’s people about hope.  This is not about ignoring painful realities or pretending that everything is “just fine.” In fact, it is just the opposite. We are called to recognize the challenging situations where people find themselves. We can identify those times of grief and loss, loneliness and isolation that can cause people to despair. Those are real.

We dare to enter into and share one another’s pain because of that short Scripture verse. We can proclaim what is true. God remembers us. God will not abandon us. In the midst of our struggles and in the middle of our doubt, God remembers us.

The church’s job is to celebrate this Good News and offer hope. When we come together as the people of God – flawed and frail as we may be – we are embodying this message of hope. We promise to walk with one another through those challenging times. We will steady one another as we experience emotional rollercoasters. We may not be strong enough on our own, but we don’t have to be. We can offer to one another God’s love, compassion, and caring.

We can promise to remember one another so that no one has to go on this journey alone.

No church is perfect, but every church is called to share the Good News of God’s enduring hope.

 

Why suffering?

On By fosteringyourfaithIn Faith, GenesisLeave a comment

The hospice volunteers wanted to hear my “biblical perspective” on suffering and pain. These compassionate caregivers, who spent hours each week with critically ill patients, were taking some time to wrestle with questions repeatedly posed to them.

“They want to know why this is happening.”

“She asked if God is mad at her.”

“He wants to know what he did that was so wrong to make him so sick.”

“Why is God doing this?”

As a local pastor I was invited to provide insight and maybe encouragement to these every-day angels who are on the front lines, bravely going into people’s homes to offer care and a listening ear. It’s hard work, that kind of caring. The patients tormented these well-meaning Nightingales with bewildered and sometimes angry questions. What could they possible say in reply?

What, indeed? If life were fair, only bad people would experience illness while the good ones would somehow be rewarded.  That certainly doesn’t seem to happen. How do we respond to arbitrary suffering when we often want to shake up fist at the universe or shrug our shoulders in despair?

What would you say?

I didn’t fool myself into thinking I could provide any “answers.” The mystery of grief and illness has tormented humankind ever since the Garden of Eden. But that gave me an inspiration.

“Let’s look at Genesis, chapter 1,” I suggested.  You’ve heard the story – in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

When God lovingly, carefully, deliberately crafted humankind , God looked at those fragile, marvelous creatures, made in the image of God. “Very good,” God said.

Right from the beginning, there was a special relationship there.  God chose us, right from the start. When God looks at us, God sees

  • Someone very good.
  • Someone who is loved and lovable.
  • Someone filled with God’s Spirit.
  • Someone who is created and creative, filled with endless possibilities.

I don’t know why bad things happen to anyone.  But I do know this – God doesn’t send sickness or earthquakes or Zika viruses or droughts or car crashes to punish people.

Sometimes we harm ourselves.

Sometimes stuff just happens.

What God does promise is to be there when we need God most.  Sometimes God shows up looking just like a hospice volunteer, ready to hold a hand, wipe a tear, and with a reminder that we are precious in God’s sight.