This week we see God's saving actions through the prophets. The prophets' messages addressed different concerns: Amos was primarily concerned with social injustices inflicted on the poor by the rich and powerful. Hosea's primary concern was fidelity to Yahweh - the Israelites had turned away from God to worship other gods. The book of Daniel tells of the trials and triumphs of Daniel and his companions emphasising that men of faith can resist temptation and conquer adversity. Each of these messages were relevant to the people of that time. The message addressed spoke out about the sins of the people against all of creation.
Reading chapter six of Creator and Creation I'm beginning to see the clear relationship between humans and the rest of creation. Human sin pollutes the created order and causes chaos to the land. God's plan is to re-create or re-order creation. So we see in the prophets the message that tells the Israelites that they've really messed up: in their covenant with God, in their treatment of others, and in their fidelity to God and all of creation. Here is where our God of justice pronounces judgment within creation: Assyria attacks, Babylon exiles the people, or natural disasters occur. The beauty of our loving God is that after the Israelites have experienced any devastation or deprivation and they realize their sin against God, and understand that God is on their side. God gently calls them back to God's self and redeems them (saves them). Thus the new created order can live in peace once again.
Through the prophets we read of this pattern of God's saving action over and over. God is continually re-creating. As I reflect on my own life and relationship with God I can see this same pattern in my life; I mess up and turn away from God, I've created chaos by my actions, with my family or work colleagues or with my students, when all seems hopeless and utterly messed up, I ask God's forgiveness and guidance and God gently and lovingly takes me back. Then I experience peace in my life when I realize that I can't live this life on my own or on my own terms. My challenge then is living my life within the created order, structuring my life around the new covenant which Christ calls us to.
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I think it's an interesting challenge to "structure [our lives] around the new covenant" because I'm not sure there's much structure to it. There certainly is God's call to each of us to love God and love our neighbor as ourself. And there certainly is a need for a communal structure (church) to help us determine whether our response is true to the call or simply a reflection of our own needs or desires. And we are creatures of habit - thank God I don't have to reinvent how to brush my teeth every day. But there's the rub. We like structure and it very easily becomes an end in itself. What we are really called to is to have God as the only end.
ReplyDeleteThe pattern you recognize in God's dealing with and through the prophets that are so evident in our own lives today makes me think that our errant behavior will not go away and we can't build structures to protect ourselves from our shortcomings. God works through our weakness and we can, too. I hope I'm not putting too much burden on what you meant by structure, but the word struck me this way.
It is a crazy life we live sometimes isn't it. One day we are teaching our students about what God wants us to do as his followers (detailing Jesus' life), and the next day we sin. I struggle sometimes being a religion teacher as its hard not to feel like a hypocrite. Like you, I know that I will always be able to go back to God after I sin, and I know that as a human I will sin, but what do you do to get past these feelings? Do you ever even have these feelings?
ReplyDeleteFor the most part I live a Christ-like life, however I stumble. I am a stubborn guy and although you may see God “gently” calling you back, often times God has to hit me over the head hard before I get the idea. Do you ever experience the pull of God’s “tractor beam” as being a little rougher and less smooth?
Cindy:
ReplyDeleteI have a very hard time imaging you creating chaos. If anyting, you seem to be the one that helps bring order back in.
Have you ever wondered what Christ thought as he sat listening to these stories? He must have seen and heard what you hear -- or else his message would have been shaped in a different way. The same message, just different.