These hazy July days, here are a few things to think about: in a farming community with a dry spell, all the townspeople gathered in church to pray for rain. Only one brought an umbrella. That's faith.
We go to bed without knowing tomorrow, but still we set the alarm clock. That's hope.
We see suffering, but we still make vows, get married, raise children. That's love.
We plan big things despite challenges. That's confidence.
Yes, these are a few things to mull over these summer days.
Second Isaiah, six centuries before Jesus, is fascinated with the awe and grandeur of this universe. Here he proclaims that, just as the spring rains and winter snows bring forth new life on the ground, so too does the word of God bring forth goodness. God’s word is life-giving and will ultimately achieve God’s will.
We pray “Thy will be done” even though at times God’s will seems obscure. Yes, God’s word ultimately will achieve its purpose despite hindrances we place before that word.
St. Paul urges the Christian community in first century Rome to stay the course and not lose their confidence in God. Paul goes on to say: just as a mother in her labor brings forth a beautiful child, so God ultimately will reveal his glory and splendor despite human tragedies and natural disasters.
Paul should inspire us to have confidence in God, especially when we may think that, to quote the Irish poet William Butler Yeats: “Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; mere anarchy is loosed upon the world….” (The Second Coming.) One day we feel fine; the next day we face a life-threatening disease. Paul challenges us to remember our ultimate purpose: eternal life with God.
In the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus speaks to us in a parable about a sower and about soil. The sower is God. Notice how generous God is. He spreads his goodness everywhere. The seed is the word of God. The different kinds of soil are different types of people.
Some people are like rocky ground: so shallow in their spirituality that when the going gets tough they forget God. Others are like thorny ground: so consumed by earthly cares they are unaware of their purpose in life.
Still other people are like good soil: they not only hear God's word but do it. Jesus asks us: Who are we in this parable? Good soil!
How do we cultivate the word of God in our daily lives?
In 1960 John F. Kennedy electrified the country with his new frontier speech: “The new frontier...is not a set of promises – it is a set of challenges. It sums up not what I intend to offer the American people, but what I intend to ask of them.”
We sometimes imagine that if we could just deal with immediate challenges, all our problems would vanish. But life is not like that. If we resolve one problem, others are around the corner.
The temptation is to see this pattern in life as preventing us from doing the right thing now. Not so! Look at what so many people today face around the world.
How do we cope with life’s challenges? First, talk to God as you would with a good friend. Whatever situations we face, happy or sad, bring them to God in prayer.
Second, trust that God is in charge. Faith means trusting God's unconditional love for us. “Faith,” C. S. Lewis wrote, “is the art of holding on to things...once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.”
Yes, it's hard to trust when everything seems to be going wrong. Think, for example, about St. Paul. This leader of the early church was locked away in jail, apparently unable to proclaim the “good news” that Jesus Christ lives, and because he lives, we live.
It must have been hard to see what good might come out of all Paul encountered as he faced the trial of his life. Yet, as he wrote, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” Paul's imprisonment resulted in him being sent to Rome where he preached the gospel, precisely what he wanted to do. Two thousand years later, vast numbers of people bearing hardships have been inspired by Paul's story of how good came out of evil.
You and I may never know in this lifetime how God uses our faithfulness to achieve his purposes. Perhaps our prayer should be: Lord, thank you that you are with us. Thank you that through all of life you work for the good of those who love you.
Take every opportunity that God gives us to never give up doing the right thing. Whatever challenges we’re facing, keep praying, keep trusting, keep looking for opportunities to serve God and never, ever give up. Pray that God will give us the grace to persevere and carry through.
I close with this thought: How about…forgiving those we don’t want to forgive; being compassionate to those we instinctively want to punish; making peace with those who have injured us; caring for those we know need us; persevering in what we know we should do; carrying our inescapable crosses; and loving when the last thing we want to do is love.
We have the potential to do great things. Begin with ordinary things. Pray that the word of God will inspire us to see Jesus more clearly in our lives, to love him more dearly and to follow him more nearly. Amen.
