Knowing God

              What matters is knowing God. Certainly there are decisions that we make; we need to hear the voice of our teacher telling us what to do, to hear that voice behind us saying, “this is the way, walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21) But what matters first of all is that He is no longer hidden (vs.20). When Mary Magdalene in the garden was weeping, there was a man—she supposed him to be the gardener—who spoke with her but then after having turned away she heard his voice, saying her name, “Mary” and she turned towards him and said, “Rabboni” which means in her home language of Aramaic, “My teacher.” She knew him now and then he gave her work to do, “Go to my brethren…” So we see, the first thing in both the Old and New Testaments, is to know the Lord; this is the precious pearl of great price. When Jesus said her name, it was the same as when he said, “Lazarus, come out.” He had awoken her heart to see. Everything begins here with the Lord speaking a word and calling into being the things that are not. The reason why the assembly and even sometimes the church building itself is a sanctuary, a place of refuge is because Jesus is our sanctuary, we cannot help but follow after him, even the church building can’t help but become something of a sanctuary, “the very stones… “(Luke 14:40). Why then is the church is locked during the week? Why would it ever be locked on  Sunday morning? This looks too much like the disciples locking themselves in. They inadvertently were preventing Jesus from entering, preventing the cure to all their diseases from entering! Were it not for his resurrected strength and power he would not have been able to go in and save the disciples. But he passed through the locked doors, destroying their self-imposed prison house. My foster sister in Chicago went to churches on Sunday morning trying the doors last month; they were all locked but then she came to a church worshipping, praise God! The church building itself is a sanctuary but the assembled worshippers even more a sanctuary.  And let us not forget the expectation of privacy in these troubled times. No arm of the government, no one not “in-house” should ever be advised by minister or anyone else who worshipped and when. The church, the assembly is a refuge because this is what the Lord is and looking at him we become like him.

Knowing God

What matters is knowing God. Yes, there are decisions that we make; we need to hear the voice of our teacher telling us what to do, to hear that voice behind us saying, “this is the way, walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21) But what matters is that He is no longer hidden (vs.20). When Mary Magdalene in the garden was weeping, there was a man—she supposed him to be the gardener—who spoke with her but then she heard his voice, saying her name, “Mary” and she turned and said, “Rabboni” which means, “My teacher.” She knew him now.Then he gave her work to do, “Go to my brethren and tell them…” So, the first thing is to know the Lord; it’s the pearl of great price. When Jesus said her name, it was the same as, “Lazarus, come out.” He had awoken her heart to see. Everything begins with the Lord speaking a word, calling into being the things that are not. The reason why the assembly and even the building itself is a sanctuary, a refuge is because Jesus is. (Luke 14:40). Why then is the church locked, ever?—but especially on Sunday! The disciples locked the door, inadvertently preventing Jesus, preventing the cure to all their diseases from entering! But he’s able to tear down all our prisons, release the captive. My friend in Chicago went to churches on Sunday trying the doors, but then something wonderful, an assembly in the parking lot. The building is a refuge but the people even more so.  And this leads us to remember one thing more. No one should ever be “told on” because they worship. No arm of the government should ever be told or even ask who worshipped and when. The church, the assembly is a refuge because this is what the Lord is. Praise God for this time; we are learning to know him.

Black and White, Slave and Free

Black and White, Slaves and Free

Did you know there is racism in the Bible?  In Numbers 12, Miriam and Aaron attempt a coup d’etat against Moses, a take-over.  He is married to a black woman and they are not pleased. They ask, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses?”  Now Moses is the meekest of men and says not a mumblin’ word against his brother and sister but the Lord takes issue.  He calls them on the carpet, “come out you three, to the tent of meeting” and he proceeds to tell them how much he loves Moses, and when the Lord finishes speaking his anger is kindled against Aaron and Miriam and when the pillar of cloud is removed from over the tent, Miriam is leprous, her skin has been turned as white as snow.  I know there might be some who say, “How come God did not punish Aaron too?"  But remember Aaron is the representative of the entire people of Israel, moreover think what God is conveying here.  It’s as if God is saying, “You want a white woman, I will give you a white woman!”  When Aaron and Moses see Miriam they are horrified.  They plead with God, Moses says “Heal her, O God, I beseech thee.”  Their prayer is granted and Miriam is healed after seven days.  God chastises those whom he loves.  God is teaching his beloved about the evils of racism.  As a white woman myself I have begun to be aware of some of the privileges and rights that I enjoy that my black brothers and sisters do not.  I have never been redlined. Black people came to our region from the south in the early 1900’s but they were not able to buy land on which to create their farms; they were not able to pursue their vocations. Can you imagine? What would you do?And it’s not just in the past: I have very rarely been suspected of shoplifting in a store but I have observed young black girls in the store, people look at them askance. They see it too.  I had no fear of driving at night in Evanston, Illinois where I was a teenager. Black teenagers had this fear constantly. Black moms and dads have to have “the Talk” with their children. It’s not a talk about the birds and the bees, it’s a talk about how to stay alive-how to come back home alive. Put your hands on the wheel, tell the officer before you make any move that you are just going for your wallet in the glove compartment. My mom and dad never had to have this talk with me. I haven’t been sent to jail for shouting and laughing in a mall; many young black men have.   My family and I enjoy the fruit of many generations of being accorded our rights; we have been able to pursue happiness without the roadblocks that have been constantly set in the faces of the descendants of slaves, the builders of this country.  In Anglo-Saxon law a slave is not just freed by proclamation, a slave is freed when he is given three things: land, a mule, and a sword. So with all due respect and love to Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation which I often quote, by my reckoning, slavery never ended since neither the slaves nor their descendants have ever been given any of the above.  Dear readers, God’s word bears fruit (Isaiah 55). His word is the word of liberty, not only for one part of society but also for the builders of this nation, the slaves and their descendants.