“They Were Calmed and He Brought Them to Their Desired Haven” -Psalm 107:30
We have close to instantaneous global communication capabilities in much of the world, sufficient to enable us to rapidly
communicate, connect, reason and cajole each other to loftier spiritual (human) achievement altitudes. Encouraging each other to always reach up toward positive gains for all seems to be a good idea to all. It is, simply, the way of Christ; the way of the Christian.
Alas, I needn’t tell any alert or any even casual observer that the baseline state of turmoil these days seems to be escalating over all the whole planet. This is not to say that is the case. It could be that we get more information (most of it hyped for personal gain) more quickly. But it seems to be the case- and that is enough. We see what appears like interminable war, and health and environmental threats. We’re faced with loss of all sorts both personal and corporate. Truth is called a callous, destructive lie. The world seems full of inanity if not insanity.
Everywhere we turn we are encouraged to despair. To borrow from Stealers Wheel, “lightening to the left of me, terror to my right, here I am.…” You know what I’m talking about. We can lose faith which is the point of the mostly manufactured brouhaha (when you stop and think about it, it doesn’t take much for old sulfur breath to ignite destruction).
We find this same theme throughout the Bible. Why? Because it is a primary way of Lucifer and it’s angels (angels are not human, hence not a him or her, hence, it’s angels) to whip up rancor and decimation.
In the first reading Job, although innocent of wrongdoing, is suffering and dispirited. Friends trying to help Job, observe that it is an opportunity for Job to repent for any wrongdoing and draw closer to God. Dissatisfied, Job demands that God Himself respond to Job’s complaints.
God does. But not in the way Job had in mind. Instead of explaining Himself, God makes some clarifications. In passages not included in our readings today, God says:
“Who is this who darkens counsel with words of ignorance? Gird up your loins now, like a man- and I will question you, and you tell me the answers! Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell me, if you can. Who determined its size? Surely you know? Who stretched out the measuring line for it? Into what were its pedestals sunk and who laid its cornerstone, while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God (angels) shouted for joy?”
And further on God says:
“Who provides nourishment for the raven when its young cry out to God, wandering about without food?”
Essentially God’s angle is that He is God and Job isn’t. And furthermore, it is not good to diminish or disregard God no matter what the circumstances may seem to be. God has the answer. God has the way. There is no need to fear.
Job got the point.
~Deacon Greg Osgood