Our Struggle for Answers in an Anxious World

John 6:68-69 (GNT): Our Struggle for Answers in an Anxious World

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. And now we believe and know that you are the Holy One who has come from God.”

“Dad, how can I believe in God when there is so much suffering and evil in the world?” These are the charged words of an inquisitive, intelligent teenager. And his questions often prompt abstract answers. In a world of concrete reasoning, abstractions only go so far. Many times, I find myself praying for an effective, efficient way to answer “the problem of pain” that C.S. Lewis writes about in his book of the same title. My answers, however, are far less satisfying. I do try my best, though, asking the Holy Spirit to guide me. Here are some approaches:

Suffering is part of our fallen nature as humans. To suffer is to be human. We are imperfect, and God does not control our thoughts, choices, and contexts. For it is in the midst of our joys, sufferings, and setbacks that God earnestly looks for us. Consider the parable of the Prodigal Son of Luke 15:11-32. Jesus presents God as the patient, merciful father who does not rush out to the pig farm to pull the son away from sin and squalor. Instead, the father waits with patience and love, always looking for his son to return. When the son returns, the father showers him with forgiveness and love. Our God is a God of love, but he does not force himself on anyone. He patiently waits for our turning toward him. Many choose to turn away.

God gives us free will. Loving God and neighbor is not a pre-programmed human genome. Many, unfortunately, choose evil in this world. And because of injustice, hatred, greed, and egomania, human beings become enveloped in the self, turning away from loving others. This causes a plurality of evil contexts in our world, evil that exists because of human depravity and choice. Even Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ chosen twelve, turned away from Christ and chose greed and egotism. All are free to choose love and forgiveness or hatred and despair. Which do we choose?

Love is expensive. Choosing to live for others, to give ourselves away, to deny ourselves our first fruits, and to look at others’ material prosperity is emotionally draining. It is much cheaper and easier to love the self than it is to love others. The Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, for example, chose to give up his freedom in the U.S. in order to go back to Nazi Germany to fight the evil of the Third Reich. Bonhoeffer writes that “cheap grace” is demonstrated by a shallow, whimsical faith. True faith, he argues, costs us our lives. After all, it is what Jesus means when he says, “Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Discipleship is not cheap.

There is no simple answer to the problem of pain and suffering in our world beyond seeking the healing salve of Christ’s love and doing our best to be that salve to others, especially those who hurt. And in John 6 Jesus, too, presents a hard teaching that not many want to hear. Jesus points to himself as the answer to life’s quest. Following him means subsisting on him. We are to consume his word, his example, his love, and even Christ himself. But many could not get past the literal understanding of “flesh and blood,” deciding, therefore, that Jesus’ teachings were too radical and shocking. They left, walking away from God himself. But Peter, speaking for the apostles, guides us to our own answer to faith’s (and life’s) difficult questions: “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.”

Suffering, pain, and victimization are unjust, heartbreaking realities in our world. We are called as people of Christ, as Jesus’ literal body on this earth, to heal others, to offer ourselves in love, to be the change we want to see in our world, and to ease -- and even stop when we can -- the suffering of others.

Lord Jesus Christ, we pray for all those in this world who suffer and are victimized. We pray that your healing hand be upon each of them, restoring them to life. Jesus, we offer ourselves as the healing hope of your church, as the needed change that must rise out of the evil and hatred that subsists on our brothers and sisters. We pray in your name, Jesus Christ, amen.

Have a blessed week!

Stan

Replenishing our Spiritual Stores

John 6:51 (NRSV): Replenishing our Spiritual Stores

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

One of the joys in my life is working out. No matter the activity -- walking, biking, weight training -- I truly enjoy it. Working out allows my body and mind to feel euphoric and connected. Deep breathing, increased circulation, and muscular engagement work together to create a sense of well being. More intense or prolonged workouts, however, result in a feeling of fatigue. And that fatigue leads to increased hunger. Sometimes during a post workout, I am so famished that I have to quickly eat something to stop my hands from shaking. My body physically communicates its need for replenishment. Many people see this hunger increase as counter intuitive: Exercise is meant to burn calories, not flare up a physical demand for more. Our spiritual life is no different. Discipleship is spiritually taxing and creates a demand for spiritual food. Where do we turn to replenish our spiritual stores?

In John 6, Jesus puts forth a provocative teaching. He says that his flesh is the food of eternal life. Those who eat of it will live forever. Many in his audience scoff at this, questioning how Jesus could demand such unlawful cannibalism. This, in turn, causes most of his followers to walk away. The apostles, however, stay. Peter beautifully sums it up in John 6:68: Lord, you have the answers; you have shown us the Father and are the key to eternal life. Although we may not fully understand this teaching, where else would we possibly go? Indeed, the apostles, Jesus’ closest friends, don’t fully understand the significance of this teaching, but they press on in faith. We are called to do the same.

Many of us reading this have a different understanding about Communion. Some see it as the Real Presence of Jesus; others see it as a memorial of Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary. All of us, however, understand Communion as uniting ourselves with Christ, as partaking of his life so that we can replenish and strengthen in ours. Communion, Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper -- whichever we prefer to call it -- is an act of unity for the Body of Christ; we unify as faithful Christians and subsist on the way, truth, and life that Jesus gives us. Jesus himself, moreover, is the eternal food that satiates our spiritual hunger and unites us a children of God.

After a fatiguing workout, I often cannot satiate my hunger. Taxing physical activity requires fuel. The same rule stands for our spiritual activity. We are soldiers, ambassadors, delegates, and purveyors of Christ’s peace on this earth. In order to be prepared, energized, and enlightened, we must fill ourselves with the only food that fully satisfies, the food of eternal life -- Jesus Christ.

I pray that we join together in the spirit of Christ as we receive Communion in our own Christian traditions. Let us be united in receiving the hunger-quenching, truly satisfying life, love, and joy of Jesus Christ. Let us transform the world together through the grace and love of God. Amen.

Have a blessed week!

Stan

The Echoes of Forgiveness

Ephesians 4:32-5:2 (NLT): The Echoes of Forgiveness

Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

When a person is kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving, it makes an impression, an indelible mark that resonates throughout our lives. That mark, moreover, spurs our own love toward others.

It was a dark night, and I was visiting a hospital in a far-off town. There were somber faces in the room, family members who were waiting for the inevitable. My turn came, so I moved down the hall passed the hum and rhythmic beeping of machines.

The nurse instructed me that my grandmother was not in pain, but she warned me that it would sound like she was choking. I agreed with the latter statement; it was an unpleasant sound. Upon entering the ICU room, I sat next to my grandmother. The only thing I could say through my streaming tears and hitching breath was, “I am so sorry for everything.”

Growing up, I was a curious, challenging kid. And I made many mistakes, the worst of them full of deceit and hurt. My grandmother received the brunt of this. But through my every wrong, betrayal, and act of unkindness, her loving way, forgiving nature, and generosity shined through. Through every instance, my grandmother answered me with tenderhearted, forgiving love. And her answers were never cheap; she lived her forgiving ways through concrete acts of love and self giving.

That evening at the hospital abruptly ended; others needed to see her, so I held her hand, kissed it and said, “I love you; thank you.” She passed away within the next 12 hours.

People who live lives of self sacrifice, forgiveness, and love make a lasting mark on others; they leave a loving legacy that never fades but only grows with time. St. Paul instructs a universal church audience to do the same: “Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do.” This loving, merciful behavior makes an immeasurable impact in our world, an impact that echoes throughout generations. How do we respond to the hurts that affect us?

Loving God, we pray that you inspire us to love and forgive the people in our lives as you love and forgive each one of us. Let us be the tenderhearted, loving, and forgiving person in others’ lives, creating waves of mercy and love in our world. In Jesus Christ we pray, amen.

Have a blessed week!

Stan

What do we Truly Seek?

John 6:35 (RSV): What do we Truly Seek?

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.”

Food and water are essential to human survival. Without them, we would surely die. Jesus, in his “bread of life” discourse, relates this truth and directs it to an audience that seeks him for the wrong reasons. A few verses earlier in John 6, Jesus feeds 5,000 from the miraculous multiplication of loaves and fishes. These same people return to Jesus, but they seek physical satiation, not spiritual. Jesus immediately recognizes this and draws the audience’s attention to his true identity: He is not a simple miracle man providing a meal. Jesus is something far greater. He is the only substance that satiates the spirit, satisfying our life’s eternal hunger, not the temporal cravings of our stomachs.

Much of our lives are spent looking for the next greatest thing. We love that new automobile with all the latest comfort, technology, and aesthetic appeal. Our computers, when they get a little slower, are replaced by bigger, better, and faster machines. The same goes for our smartphones. Clothing, too, comes and goes, depending on the latest fashions. And when we accomplish these upgrades, whether we can afford to or not, we get a feeling of joy, fulfillment, and fun. But that feeling is only fleeting. It never gives permanent satisfaction. Soon after the latest upgrade or fashion trend, we crave something else. And we contemplate what will fill that void, that constant itch, for something better in our lives. This is not to condemn our need for new stuff; consumerism is fine when kept in check. If we take a moment to pause and reflect, however, we might hear a “still, small voice” (1 Kings 19:11-13) calling us to something deeper.

Jesus draws us into that same eternal question: What is it that we truly seek? Two essential elements of human physical survival are bread and water. Jesus presents himself as each. But he is not just the temporary meal and drink; he is the eternal meal and drink. When we come to Jesus and have faith in him, we finally satiate the hunger within our spirit. Nothing else will do.

Loving God, we pray that your presence be felt in our everyday experience. We seek the spiritual meal that only you can give, the presence of your Son, Jesus Christ. Let us always reflect him by being agents of his peace, love, and mercy in this world. In Jesus Christ we pray, amen.

Have a blessed week!

Stan