Friday, October 26, 2007

Today’s text

Luke 18:1-8

Then Jesus told them a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. “There was a judge in a certain town,” he said, “who had neither fear of God nor respect for anyone. In the same town there was also a widow who kept on coming to him and saying, ‘I want justice from you against my enemy!’ For a long time he refused, but at last he said to himself, ‘Even though I have neither fear of God nor respect for any human person, I must give this widow her just rights since she keeps pestering me, or she will come and slap me in the face.’” And the Lord said, “You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now, will not God see justice done to his elect if they keep calling to him day and night even though he still delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?”

Prayer

Two words turn my heart again to you, O God: “his elect.” They speak a grace and consolation sufficient for the day, for every day. For I know: I belong to your elect, to you.

The words speak of ownership, and that is just fine with me. I want to be owned by you, for you are Great Mercy and Holy Passion. Such are the names my faltering mind assigns to your unspeakable glory. But these, inadequate as they are, speak the zeal and fervor you have for those that are yours, the elect, the chosen, the claimed, the beloved, … me.

I name you Lord, for I am not my own. I am yours, part of that people your Beloved won for you in the pains of bitter woundedness. This not always a comfortable place to be. You lead me to places I do not want to go and refuse to be content with my resistance to the call of your love. You, who are roundly rejected, seek to be visible in my flesh, and I know what that means.

But every day I struggle with my finitude, my limits, my fears, and every day you tell me that I belong to an everlasting love who has loved me everlastingly. I belong to a Lord who holds fast to the elect with a holy zeal and fervent ardor that refuses to let me to face my life alone. And that’s good news, Dear Friend. I learned long ago that independence is overrated.

And you won’t have it. Again and again you whisper: “You are mine. Nothing and no one else can have you.” I am father and a grandfather; I understand such love, even if mine is but finite.

Thank you.

Pr. David L. Miller