God Always Has a Plan
Message from Rev. Anthony
Dear Friends,
Ever since I moved into my apartment last year, I have been having issues with my neighbors regarding the noise level late at night. This past weekend it escalated, and I will spare the details, but they include me having to call the police and even getting a camera installed.
I am quite literally trying to “love my neighbor” and not “my neighbor,” as in the ‘Good Samaritan’ story. This is more like the, “love your enemies”-type-of-neighbor. And wow, can that be challenging.
As we approach Palm Sunday, many of us are familiar with The Passion Gospel readings, that detail the events leading up to Jesus’s death. He was mocked, slapped, spit on, flogged, and of course, crucified. As he was on the cross, a criminal who was hanging beside him said, “If you’re the Messiah, save yourself and us.” The other criminal, however, said to him, “Shut up (I’m paraphrasing) we are getting what we deserve, but this man is innocent.”
Although I’d like to identify with the second criminal on the cross, I must say I relate to the first one in many ways. “Hey, you’re the ‘Son of God;’ do something about this terrible situation.” I say this in part about my troubling neighbors, but moreso regarding the challenges in our world as a whole. Yet, God seemingly does nothing. I say “seemingly” because I believe (most of the time) that God has a plan, even when we can’t see it.
This is not the most popular message, since we are taught that we are “the hands and feet of Christ” and that “God helps those who help themselves.” While both of those views have truth to them, they are incomplete without the recognition that there are circumstances that we are powerless to change and must rely on God to help us.
And it’s easy to believe in God when things are going well, but if I am hanging from a cross and God does nothing, well that is an entirely different type of faith. One that loves our neighbors and our enemies (or at least tries to) and continues to believe that ultimately Light will overcome darkness, even if it has to transcend death in order to do it!
In Christ,
Anthony+
