Isaiah 49:8-16a
Ephiphany 8 - Year A
Proper 3 (8) - Year A
G*D says, "In a time of favor I have been present." This is one of those perception issues. We have times we label favorable and unfavorable and we equate our reception of G*D's presence with our experience of what finds favor in our sight. In this duality of abundance and scarcity we find ourselves sometimes claiming we are forsaken when G*D is still saying, "I am present with you."
Listen again to creation: "Sing for joy, O heavens and exalt, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For G*D is present with comfort and compassion." All of creation except those made in G*D's image, male and female and hermaphrodite, seem to be able to experience each moment as a time of presence. We may be too close to G*D to experience ourselves as living and moving and having our being within an expansive gift of compassion and mercy. We keep grasping after some invisible short-cut to being in absolute charge. In our perception that life could be better, we falter in our ability to sing for joy.
It seems we are continually in a state of worry based on a perception that we are being thwarted in what we are entitled to. The ability to perceive that we are forsaken and forgotten, one of the curses of being made in G*D's image, is exactly what gets in our way of perceiving that we are as present as a scar on G*D's hand.
What, you say, G*D's hand can be scarred? Consider your own hand and the scars you have received in offering it. Remember your creation and the scars you have caused on the hands of others, including G*D.
May the time be ripe for us to cast a larger vision beyond our worries, fears, frustrations, losses, and sin. May we experience again compassion, possibility, new growth, and mercy. In such experiences let us join a mighty chorus that hails a new creation.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html
What happens should you begin to track down a choice of G*D over Wealth? Ancient Isaiah sees what G*D's leadership would mean, "I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to resettle families on the ruined properties."
Right! To choose G*D is to choose to be engaged in service of a larger value than self. To follow G*D is to return to the ancient creation task of confirming and continuing care for the earth that is our source material. To follow Wealth is to claim dominion over the earth for our immediate benefit.
Right! to choose G*D is to choose to see that families have living water, a living wage, a living community to bind them again to deeper and wider living where they are. To follow Wealth is to toss more people off their property, always cutting labor wages, leaving people behind to increase profit - at any cost.
In these two examples, following G*D returns us to the two great commands to love G*D (Creator/Creation) and to love Neighbor (Family/Community).
G*D? Wealth? Long term? Short term? It is still time to decide. Blessings on taking a road more travelled by G*D and less travelled by Wealth. It will make all the difference.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2011/02/isaiah-498-16.html