Saturday, June 19, 2004

When what you need fails, the unnecessary will save you

When the things you need fail you, it will be the unnecessary that comes to your rescue and saves you.

What does that mean?

Well, what is it people need? (Judging from their behavior, not their words.) Must be things like power, money, friendship, love. I have to be honest and admit how much I go after the love of people I don't even know, maybe don't respect. So that is what my behavior says I need

Well then, what is unnecessary? Well.... most people treat God like a distant relative that they visit a couple of times a year at most. We think we do God a favor when we go to church. Or some don't even go because they don't think God is there. So if you judge behavior, not just words, then most people don't think a relationship with God is "necessary", at least not in comparison to the "things" they need, which are things.

But if God is "unnecessary" then it follows that maybe you can relate to God in freedom and spontaneity, through love, through choice, and thus experience the incredible gratuitous presence of one you claim is outside the realm of your need. Faith is like a wonderful holiday that will never come to an end! And then when all those other things fail (and even family love eventually fails) the constant faithful presence of the one you thought you didn't need becomes the one thing you still have. And it will be enough. At least Job thinks so.

Perhaps the realm beyond need is the realm of the true Sabbath, where faith swallows law. So it seems this morning anyway.

No comments: