Blessings to All!
I have chosen to share part of the sermon from Sunday to talk about Hope in difficult times. We do find our Hope in the eyes, the heart and the soul of each other. We are called for this.
Nature always finds a way to challenge us doesn’t it? We are challenged to adapt every day of our lives. Sometimes it rains or snows. Sometimes it seems too overwhelming, like the challenges that confront us this week. Living in Southern California is a gift. Many of our families moved here years ago to escape the snow and frigid weather. Many others left the South to escape the humidity and the heat. We can handle earthquakes. But brush fires are a different thing.
We have experienced some devastating fires in the past, but what has happened in the past week is beyond anything most of us could imagine. Never in my lifetime did I think that thousands of homes would be destroyed in one week or that thousands of families would be evacuated throughout our communities. The numbers are staggering. But numbers are not the story. These are our brothers and sisters, our children, our dogs, our cats, our horses, the list go’s on.
In the worst of times, we people of faith seek what we all believe in, the good news. Times like this make it hard to find a silver lining in the burned-out rubble of thousands of homes and lives lost to an act of nature. But in the smoky haze of destruction and chaos, God is at work through people like you and I. Thousands of firefighters and other first responders are right now risking their lives to save people, homes and animals. Volunteers are ready to step up and help. Neighbors are reaching out to each other to help in any way they can. I listened to one man interviewed who had stayed after being told to evacuate so he could try to save not only his home but his neighbors as well. By using multiple garden hoses, he worked for sixteen hours to save their homes by himself. When asked why he endangered himself, he simply said, because they have always been there to help me. God was working through that man.
The skies will be dark with smoke for quite sometime and the carnage will be visible for a long time, but we will heal. And we will not do it alone. As we teach and lead each other through the turmoil of life, the darkness turns to light in God’s creation. Yes, we are challenged to rise up from the ashes, but rise we will. Jesus endured the worst of humanity for us. By His will and example, we all will lift each other above darkened skies to brighter times.
This week’s lectionary reading was a reminder to all of us of the Baptism of Jesus. Remember your own baptism is the call. When we are baptized, we are committed to follow God and lift up God’s people. We are a part of the family. The example that Jesus gave us that day in the river was to remind us of that commitment of faith. When one of our family members are sick, or is suffering, we go to them and help, first in prayer and then in aid. The needs of those who are affected and suffering from the devastation of this past week are overwhelming. But, we are God’s people and we accept the challenge of care and prayer for our brothers and sisters. We might be inclined to run toward the fire you might say.
This week of pain and suffering also brought out glimpses of humanity that sometimes to be lost in these times of divisiveness. We heard the immediate cries of who was to blame for a tragedy. Yes, some are inclined to always want to blame someone or something. Blame will not restore anything; Blame will not rebuild anything. Blame is a waste of time. The humanity I speak of comes from all of the neighbors helping each other, checking on each other and loving one another. That is a gift to all of us of hope. We give each other hope in our concern and our prayers. In our actions like the man with a hose. Like a first responder willing and brave enough to save a home or a life in the midst of a more powerful force of nature than we have ever seen. Hope is what will heal all nations and people. Loss of hope in the worst of days can devastate all of us. It is we the people of God that will restore hope in the worst of times. God has empowered us to spread hope among the suffering. Sometimes, like these days, we ask what can I do to help? We all have the gift of hope. We sometimes forget to use it, but now is not that time. Start by speaking to God. Remember your baptism as Jesus reminded us. We are committed to sharing that gift of hope with all people.
Pastor John
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