I tried to tell him that the prayer by itself was an
act of faith, but that didn’t help. One day, in exasperation, I started to
point out the kind of faith he had. I told him that every time he got in the
car he had faith—trusting that drivers would stay in the lane they were
supposed to, that they would stop when they saw red lights on the traffic
signals; etc. He trusted that we could be in relationship with one another, at
one, in acknowledging certain rights and privileges of those around us for the
sake of peaceful and orderly living. And, when those rights and privileges were
violated we had a set of punishments and compensations that might be mandated
in order to restore orderly, if not amicable relationships. This trust is the
basis of faith.
The first few times we leave home in the car and
make it home safely, we feel great accomplishment. We might even flash our
driver license unnecessarily, but, after awhile, driving is just part of who we
are. Faith is a little like that.
For centuries, our relationship with God was based
on law. There were rules, and everyone who lived under the covenant tried to
obey the rules to prove their relationship with God. But no one was able to.
Being in a right relationship with God and all of God’s people was too much. At
some point, we always put ourselves first at the expense of someone else,
violating our relationships with others.
No matter how hard humanity tried and tries, we keep
getting it wrong, so, God chose to reveal God’s self in the person of Jesus
Christ, who chose to live in our world of rules, teaching a better way: a way
of forgiveness that leads to concern for the other. Ultimately, this model of
living became so dangerous that humanity decided that Jesus
had to go. Yet, even on the cross, Jesus showed us what forgiveness could do
and, on Easter morning, rose from the dead opening a world of relationship that
focused on a world that was not based on winning, but a trust in God’s
willingness and ability to love and receive us in spite of ourselves.
That love did not mean that the law could be set-aside,
only that it was not the determining factor for being received and loved. After
all, we still need to be able to drive with some degree of confidence that the
other idiots are going to do what they are supposed to do. Still, greater than
the law is God’s intention for us to be saved. That message from God is
revealed in God’s word made flesh for us and continued through the work of the
Holy Spirit.
The question is not whether or not you can claim
worthiness; it depends on God claiming you as worthy. If it’s about our
worthiness, we’re sunk. Fortunately, it’s about Christ ’s
worthiness and his willingness to embrace us. That’s a done deal.
Prayer
O God, most holy One, you came into the world, not
to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved. Your love extends
beyond the few to your whole creation. May we know your presence and the
assurance of your love forever. Amen
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