Sunday, September 27, 2020            (today’s lectionary)
Beside the grave
If you have any encouragement in Christ
Any solace in love or fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy
Then make my joy complete:
Be of the same mind, with the same love for each other.
In Farmer City my friend stood beside his wife’s grave while a gray cold drizzle fell. His friend, here from Wisconsin to stand with him, stood beside John after everyone had left. He said, “It might not seem like it now, but I’m telling you. There are no coincidences.”
As John reminded me of this moment in he also remembered words Eben Alexander brought with him back from his time between life and death. “You are loved and cherished. You have nothing to fear. There is nothing you can do wrong.”
In humility value others above yourselves.
Have the same attitude as Christ Jesus.
Believing what Eben wrote paves the way to do what Paul desires. Jesus tells me to love my neighbor as myself. Paul goes a step further, but I can do neither until I believe God loves and cherishes me, which means I have nothing to fear, and every day in every way I can value others above myself. There is nothing I can do wrong.
I could push these ideas around until they seem like Pollyanna’s Principles, and stop believing in them, in myself, in others, in God. The deadpool can suck me down. I won’t do that; instead I’ll assume the best, believe Dr. Alexander and Jesus and Paul, and follow that path into the unknown places.
One of the most important ways to “value others above myself” is simply to trust. Now I know we all die, and so in the most basic way we are untrustworthy to each other. Now I know we all sin and fall short, and selfishness continually creeps into our motivations, and so there are many ways for me to be untrustworthy to you, and you to me.
But so what?
When I choose to trust, my world gets bigger. When I distrust, my world gets smaller. God is further away. I close off and curl my tiny toes around just my own little world. In short, I am unhappy.
Jesus told this story. A man had two sons.
He told the first, “Go out and work in the vineyard today.”
The son refused. But later he went anyway and did the work.
The father also told his second son, “Go out and work in the vineyard today.”
This son said “Sure.” But then he did nothing.
I think God assumes the best, and when I change my NO to YES, he is happy. And I think God wants me to do the same. Trust, assume the best, value others higher than myself …
God gave Ezekiel the same message.
If a man turns from his wickedness and does what is right and just,
He shall preserve his life.
Every day … today … tomorrow … I will make choices to follow or fall away from what is right and just. This is not a problem just for me, but for you too, and for us all. We need to learn from God how to do what he tells us to do.
Teach me your paths, your ways,
Make them known to me, Lord
Guide me in your truth and teach me.
I will open my eyes and ears and hands, and ask for what you have to give. Let me receive it now.
           (Ezekiel 18, Psalm 25, Philippians 2, John 10, Matthew 21)
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