2 Corinthians 4:13--5:1
"...because we look not to what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal."
Paul has been trying to give us this glimpse, a glimpse of something hard to describe, a glimpse of something best described in poet's words. The Psalms give us a gateway into this, trying to describe the trials of human frailty then turning to praise and giving us depths of things not seen. Always taking us closer to what is eternal. Paul is trying hard to capture faith and it cannot be caught in words. Paul has been trying, through all of these past two weeks, to give us this picture of faith. Maybe this is why he has to write it down twice and you can be sure this isn't the end since we're dealing with Paul.
Madeleine L' Engle takes these words and writes them in a young adult book called A Wrinkle in Time. They are said to Meg the main character by Aunt Beast. See Meg is hurt badly from almost coming under the power of It, the darkness which is overtaking the universe. Aunt Beast is a creature from another planet who nurses her back to health. She asks questions of her to know how to fight the darkness and this is one of the answers the creature gives to her. She writes it in this book as if children can be brought to understand this, yet it is a key to understanding more.
In a world which puts its faith on those things which can be seen, are tangible this is hard. If we look at Samuel this is what Israel is dealing with. Do we go on the faith we have in God to call another prophet, to not loose our small nation to another, to feed us and guide us. Or do we look at the might around us and become afraid, so they rejected God and asked for a king. The warning comes from God of what a king, an earthly king, will demand. They will take from you, from your house, from your whole house what you would've been able to keep together with God.
So faith eludes us at the best of times and at the worst of times. We become fearful, give up on God, put our trust on the things we can see, and all in the name of stability. Because we fear. It is easy to fear the darkness. In every single heroes journey we see it. Always though they have faith. For Meg it is in all the connections with family, this brings her to the realization that the most powerful choice she has is to love. Love in the face of fear, love in the face of losing everything, love which has the power to turn it all around. This is faith in action.
We are asked to do this our whole life long. Trust in things we cannot see. Plant them in the world around us and have faith that they will grow. We do it when we come to community because it is only in community that our faith takes form. It is a reliance on others even in the face of our trials. This is what Paul is saying, even though we can't come see you, even though we have been in prison, even though we are tried we are not giving up. Because we place ourselves on trying to understand the paradox of being united with Christ's death and life.
Can we put into words seeing the mist rise on the lake and enjoying the mystery of what is beyond. Or looking at a lane and the wonder of where it might end. Or seeing we have not walked or lived this persons life so we give more time and patience to them. Or seeing that in the breaking of the bread we are giving credence to our own brokenness, knowing in the breaking we are in tune with a strength the world doesn't know. Or maybe only poet's, writers, or psalmists can help capture what it is to keep the faith. I lift up my eyes to the hills, even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
"...because we look not to what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal."
Paul has been trying to give us this glimpse, a glimpse of something hard to describe, a glimpse of something best described in poet's words. The Psalms give us a gateway into this, trying to describe the trials of human frailty then turning to praise and giving us depths of things not seen. Always taking us closer to what is eternal. Paul is trying hard to capture faith and it cannot be caught in words. Paul has been trying, through all of these past two weeks, to give us this picture of faith. Maybe this is why he has to write it down twice and you can be sure this isn't the end since we're dealing with Paul.
Madeleine L' Engle takes these words and writes them in a young adult book called A Wrinkle in Time. They are said to Meg the main character by Aunt Beast. See Meg is hurt badly from almost coming under the power of It, the darkness which is overtaking the universe. Aunt Beast is a creature from another planet who nurses her back to health. She asks questions of her to know how to fight the darkness and this is one of the answers the creature gives to her. She writes it in this book as if children can be brought to understand this, yet it is a key to understanding more.
In a world which puts its faith on those things which can be seen, are tangible this is hard. If we look at Samuel this is what Israel is dealing with. Do we go on the faith we have in God to call another prophet, to not loose our small nation to another, to feed us and guide us. Or do we look at the might around us and become afraid, so they rejected God and asked for a king. The warning comes from God of what a king, an earthly king, will demand. They will take from you, from your house, from your whole house what you would've been able to keep together with God.
So faith eludes us at the best of times and at the worst of times. We become fearful, give up on God, put our trust on the things we can see, and all in the name of stability. Because we fear. It is easy to fear the darkness. In every single heroes journey we see it. Always though they have faith. For Meg it is in all the connections with family, this brings her to the realization that the most powerful choice she has is to love. Love in the face of fear, love in the face of losing everything, love which has the power to turn it all around. This is faith in action.
We are asked to do this our whole life long. Trust in things we cannot see. Plant them in the world around us and have faith that they will grow. We do it when we come to community because it is only in community that our faith takes form. It is a reliance on others even in the face of our trials. This is what Paul is saying, even though we can't come see you, even though we have been in prison, even though we are tried we are not giving up. Because we place ourselves on trying to understand the paradox of being united with Christ's death and life.
Can we put into words seeing the mist rise on the lake and enjoying the mystery of what is beyond. Or looking at a lane and the wonder of where it might end. Or seeing we have not walked or lived this persons life so we give more time and patience to them. Or seeing that in the breaking of the bread we are giving credence to our own brokenness, knowing in the breaking we are in tune with a strength the world doesn't know. Or maybe only poet's, writers, or psalmists can help capture what it is to keep the faith. I lift up my eyes to the hills, even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
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