The Wisdom of God guides and provides on life’s journey.
The scriptures are rich in a special way. Although God is always speaking to. us through His Word, I believe we are getting a special teaching and direction in a time when we most need. An insight into allowing the Lord to teach us and nurture through the challenges and fears of life’s Journey. This teaching and food is sustainable and formidable in our Christian walk.
“Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!”
In the Book of Kings chapter 19 we find the prophet Elijah on a journey. He has just slain the priests of the false god Baal and Queen Jezebel is in persuit of him. It is not out of fear of Jezebel that he flees, but rather it is God’s providence that’s guides the Prophet. It is wisdom provided by God the guides him in and through the wilderness. He had already stood his ground before the king and the priests evening calling down fire to consume the split offerings. see 1Kings 18:36-38.
It is a disturbance of the soul from which Elijah prays for death. Here we are being taught that even in our own fear of a consequence of great detriment God is present to guide and to feed us, thus placing strength and courage to complete our journey. The prophet then after a good rest journeys for 40 days and nights to arrive at the mountain of the Lord.
Like the Prophet Elijah we can be weighed down by fatigue, affliction and discouragement. The Lord comes to provide us with strength and comfort through the meal of both Word and Sacrament which is Eucharist. We are taught and fed that we might make it through.
So we ask ourselves how do we get through the seemingly unending challenges both in our personal lives, communal life and societal life. Whether it is frustration with the spread of the pandemic due to apathy and disinformation, to the personal and emotional crisis we might find ourselves facing. There can be a feeling of emptiness, abandonment or simply a fear and confusion as to what lies ahead in our life’s journey.
An openness to the truth and power of God’s power and wisdom can open and transform our lives. There must be an openness to linking our faith, beliefs and recognition of God’s ability to actually work in our lives. So often our faith is void of actually allowing true wisdom and providential care by God. What I mean is that we are so self absorbed that we only are concerned about our individual needs and the condition of the “other” doesn’t matter. Christians who care more about what they want then any thought as to the consequence of others fail to live up to their calling as believers living in Christ. The me and mine culture is tearing us apart, destroying the very foundation of ecclesial and societal life.
To the church of Ephesus Paul is clear. Open our hearts to hear the word of God.
“All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling
must be removed from you, along with all malice.
And be kind to one another, compassionate,
forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ”
Christians who ignore God’s word given to teach, guide and shape us, instead seek personal gain while claiming to be followers of Christ. This scripture needs to be written in the hearts of everyone who claims to be of Christ. “So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love,”. This is void in so many ways. The approach of so many to this pandemic is about what they think and feel void of the truth and disregard for others. Divisiveness, hatred, disinformation are embraced and the love and regard for the well-being of others is disregarded from an attitude of egoism and selfishness. Stop and think how will my decision affect others? Will it bring goodness or well-being or will it bring confusion and fear? Will I promote goodness and life, and continue to sow doubt and fear. Listen and Eat God is providing guidance and food for the journey.
Jesus, the Son if the Living God is the “Bread of Life”that has come down from heaven. He is true and real food. In our worship He is offered to us to partake and be nourished, first at the table of the Word and the table of Eucharist. This why our presence is so needed at Sunday Mass. Many are choosing not to allow the special union between them and Christ to occur by not attending Sunday Eucharist. When we allow the Lord to feed us through both word and sacrament we will find ourselves fulfilled, strengthened and open to God’s Wisdom. I often wonder how much we pray and ask guidance when once refuses vaccinations, or I wonder how much prayer and true union with Christ happens when lies and disinformation are embraced, and finally how much prayer and discernment takes place when we ignore the immigrant, the suffering and the poor? Where is God’s wisdom when I seek to separate the good of others from what I want and think?
“When individuals bring the openness, understanding, humility and compassion to their positions of leadership, the potential for establishing or re-establishing community is significantly increased. This, in turn, makes it possible to move toward consensus and conversion of hearts. It may be that it is only by committing ourselves to praying, listening, learning, thinking and acting in the presence of the Holy Spirit that we will be able to demonstrate moral leadership in action as servant leaders showing, without ambiguity, that all lives really do matter.”. Bishop Edward Braxton Ph,D.