A Matter of Expectations
“Do you have any idea who that is at the door?” “Do you have any idea to whom you are speaking?” “Do you have any idea what is truly going on here?”
One of the truly great sacrifices we have had to make due to the global pandemic is the cancellation of Vacation Bible School. VBS week is one of my favorites of the year for many reasons - and one of the main reasons is that we get reminded of the basic message of God’s gracious love for all. I also love VBS week because it allows us to refocus on some of the basics of the faith that, I am afraid, we over-complicate.
A most important basic belief that we share through VBS is the idea that God is everywhere. Yet, do we really believe that to be true? Do we act as if God is everyone? Far from being a simplistic message for children, the understanding we must have about God being present everyone has great implications for how we live and love.
There is another question that is left for us to consider; before we get to that, though, let’s hear Jesus’ words as recorded in Matthew 10:40-42:
"Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple -- truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward."
As we take stock of our lives, can it be said that our life lends itself to someone knowing that when they welcome us, they welcome God?
Conversely, can it be said of us that when we encounter others we are looking for or anticipating the opportunity to welcome God?
When our current situation lends itself to a great deal of skepticism, bitterness, rage, anger, frustration, and suspicion, it would be hard to blame someone for not necessarily expecting to encounter God in another person.
And, yet, that is exactly the standard to which Jesus calls us.
What if we allowed ourselves to believe that any encounter we have with another might result in us encountering Christ? How might that change our approach to others, even those with whom we have deep disagreement? How might that change the other person, if we allowed for the possibility that God is present in them and is looking to use them in a way that brings us closer to God and/or reveals to us something God wants us to see?
On this Monday afternoon, let us be careful and intentional about looking for God in the other - especially if the other is espousing a viewpoint or engaging in an action we find absolutely abhorrent. After all, one cannot read the Easter narrative without facing the reality that Jesus was present where they expected least to find him…maybe it is time for us to change our viewpoint so we might have a better chance of seeing God?
Or to put it another way - is there any one of us who couldn’t use another encounter with God during our day? Let’s be sure to not close the door such a possibility because our preconceived notions have shut down any chance of this happening.
Grace & Peace,
Lamar