by Rev. Dr. Mary Susan Gast, Conference Minister, May, 2003
Monthly Reflections from The Pacific ~ News and Events of the NCNC United Church of Christ

MAKING SENSE ON GOD'S TERMS

Words of encouragement and support for those ministering "in the fields."

One day many years ago, when my daughter was in the 8th grade, she came home from school and announced, "I think I might be Jewish."

"Oh?" I responded, stalling for time in a manner which I hoped conveyed parental wisdom and calm. She was, after all, the daughter of not just one, but two, UCC ministers. And I needed a moment to take in her statement. Recalling that several of her classmates had celebrated their bar mitzvahs and bas mitzvahs recently, I deduced that theological discourse might have arisen at the middle school. Ready now to enter into this discussion, I asked, "What makes you think that?"

"Well," she said, "if the Messiah has already come, how come there's still so much poverty and violence in the world?"

"Hm," I replied, "theologians have been asking that question for centuries."

One of our sages, Browne Barr, addressed that question in an article that appeared in The Christian Century over 20 years ago. If the Resurrection is real-if Jesus is the Messiah-then life makes sense for us as Christians, Browne wrote. But it only makes sense on God's terms, not ours. The Resurrection means that The Author of the Universe is intent on the fulfillment of just and loving purposes, the Ancient of Days is in dead earnest about the establishment of a realm of equity and peace. It proclaims that all our narrow allegiances are doomed if they are not prompted by love for God and neighbor. "For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." [I John 3: 11]

"Are you the Messiah?" the disciples asked Jesus after the Resurrection.

"Look around," Jesus said, "see what I have done. The sick are healed, the needy are made whole, the rejected are loved. the guilty are unburdened. People crushed by guilt are not let off the hook for their evil deeds, but are granted restoration to life. Creation testifies to strength in weakness, wisdom in foolishness, victory in defeat, life in the barren caverns of death, the triumph of powerless love over loveless power.

"Omigosh. He's back. Just like he promised."

Those disciples were startled and frightened, trembling and astonished. And well they might be. And so might we. If God was not content to let things rest as they were on Calvary, God will not be content to let rapacious greed or ruthless force or self-serving policies have their way in Iraq or Indonesia, in Sarajevo or Sacramento or in any of our hearts.

The Messiah has come-as Jesus of Nazareth who collided with the mighty and colluded with the needy, in league and in love with this hodgepodge humanity. It's up to us to live the no-holds-barred, full-tilt, in extremis truth of the Resurrection.

Your comments are welcome
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