How Do We See Evidence of God's Works?

Based on Matthew 11: 1-11.

It is interesting that I am writing this particular post after just having read the unbelievable story in the Episcopal Cafe' about a Baptist church in North Carolina. This particular church group is going to have a book burning exercise on Halloween and will burn every version of the Bible including the NRSV which this writer uses, as well as works by the Pope and Mother Teresa.

In other words, anything that represents something different to their understanding of the King James Version of the Bible is going to be destroyed by fire. How very interesting and scary. Even more interesting to me is that most fundamentalist Christians condemn Halloween because according to them, they participate in practices relating to the occult. Yet, here is a church throwing God's good works in to the fire, calling them wicked. Sounds like some dangerously twisted thinking to me.

Very different from the above example is Jesus' response to the questions brought to him from messengers of St. John the Baptist. John the Baptist is in prison under King Herod. And from his prison cell, John the Baptist sends to Jesus the question of wanting to know if Jesus is the Messiah, the Anointed One of God. Jesus' response is how his ministry is affecting the world around him. "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers (and other diseased persons [taken from the footnote]) are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me." (Matthew 11:4 - 6). Wow! What incredible news this is. Those who have been marginalized by society and the religious leaders of Jesus' day are finding God in their midst. They are seeing that they are very important to God. No person who is blind, lame, sick, unable to walk, hear or even dead or poor is without someone who is interested in them. And everyone is finding out that God is interested in them, cares for them and wants them to be part of God's human family. And God's people are fortunate to hear how Jesus is making God's presence known through his words of forgiveness and mercy, feeding of the hungry, healing of the sick, raising of the dead and no one is excluded from the possibility of knowing that God is interacting with them. It must have been wonderful to be witnessing all of this in person.

The work that Jesus was doing in the midst of great oppression, sickness and hardship is not much unlike the work that is placed before us in the here and now. As we continue to voice our concern for health care reform so that those who are sick can find their way to healing and wholeness without worrying as much about how they pay for it, we see politicians and health insurance companies concerned only about their profits and surpluses. Yet, in the midst of the political and corporate corruption in which the sick and those who are in need of health care reform are no longer the most important part of the discussion, there are people coming forward to speak up for those who really do need to be remembered. I think of the great work that Keith Olbermann of MSNBC has started by calling viewers to help establish free clinics in areas where politicians can see how great the need for health care reform is. After an hour long commentary on the injustice of the status quo of the present health care system, Keith made a call to establish the free clinics. Keith's effort have raised over $1 million dollars toward free clinics. The politicians who remain blinded by political and corporate greed will have the opportunity to see just how many sick and infirm individuals are affected by their lack of consideration. How is this good? Because it raises awareness. People who are blind to the realities around them, will be able to see that there are people affected by the lack of concerned action. People who might not have volunteered before, will be given a chance to volunteer and help people who are injured, sick and in need will help make a statement about the need for health care reform.

When we see the work of gay rights advocates like slain San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk, give hope to LGBT individuals in his midst and help inspire people to speak up about equality, and gave his life for having done so, that is evidence that God is at work. When soldiers are discharged from the military due to Don't Ask, Don't Tell and then take their place in the National Equality March to represent a need for society to change their understanding about LGBT individuals wanting to serve in America's military, that is God working. When a man like the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire becomes the first openly gay Episcopal Bishop to be ordained, now goes to Maine to help the No on 1 campaign, that is God at work in our world.

When we see those who are left on the fringe of society, given a voice, an opportunity to move from where they are and given a face for everyone to see, that is God becoming visible.

We must be careful here. Because God does great things in ordinary and extra ordinary ways. When the wife of a husband helps him work through alcohol addiction, unemployment or an illness, God is at work. When a father looks after his daughter to help her get out of an abusive relationship, or helps her through an unplanned pregnancy, God's compassion is visible. When a gay man falls in love with another who is lonely and needing to be loved, it is God leading his heart to know that there is love in an unloving world. When a lesbian woman rescues her wife from attempting suicide due to depression from her children who have rejected her, and takes her to therapy to be healed, that is God working and making a difference in the lives of two people.

How do we help others see evidence of God's work in our families, churches, work places and communities? How do we go beyond where we are so that others may hear about God's good works through our actions, attitudes and prayers? Undoubtedly there is work to be done. There are opportunities for God to make a difference around us, through us and with our cooperation. How difficult is it for us to allow God to use us as evidence of God's work around us?

If ever we need to find out what God wants us to do, it never hurts to do an inventory of all the gifts and talents that God has given us, and then look for places and people where we can use them. As we find opportunities to use what God has given us to give evidence of God's presence and power in our lives, we will undoubtedly find opportunities to do things we would not normally do. Then God really makes God's presence known.

Let us never forget that when we attend the Eucharist, God makes God's presence known to us in the Eucharist as well as when we hear God's word and pray with others. For we cannot be evidence of God's work in our world, unless we encounter God's work in our own lives. But God's presence in our lives can never stop at the doors and windows of our churches. God's presence must be made known through our willingness to cooperate with God's works in and through our lives. Amen.

Almighty God, whose loving hand has given us all that we possess; Grant us grace that we may honor you with our substance, and, remembering the account which we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of your bounty, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, #38, Page 827).