THOUGHTS OF A NUN

Sun after Transfiguration - 9^th after Pentecost -
August 13^th 2006

In an interview with Bill Moyers a writer of children’s books, painted these word pictures. Picture a huge body of water with just an elephant’s head and the neck and head of a giraffe above the water. The next scene is the same body of water with only the trunk of the elephant and half the head of the giraffe above the water. The final scene is the huge mass of water with no sign of life anywhere. The author admitted she is questioning how we can love or believe or trust a god who will create a flood that would wipe out all of creation except for two of every species of animals and 8 humans –Noah’s ark.

What kind of a God is our God? Throughout much of Scripture, ours as well as the Moslem Koran, there is a vengeful, punishing, wrathful god. There is also a forgiving, beneficent, compassionate God. In the attempt to understand life and express those understandings to others, it seems very human attitudes have been applied to God. Perhaps erroneously!

This morning’s gospel of the Caananite Woman is an example of the goodness of God. We have heard or read many times Jesus saying the law (or Scripture) says this: but I say to you etc.

Jesus realized the people did not really know God or they would have understood God’s law differently than they had thus far.  Jesus understanding was different than the general understanding. His mission was to bring about knowledge of God, and thus God’s reign on earth. His words to the Caananite woman indicate he thought his mission was just to the “chosen people of Israel” but when he heard this foreign woman’s FAITH in Him, it seems something clicked in him and He saw His message was to all people everywhere.

His message was of a beneficent, compassionate, forgiving God, of a God who was more like a loving parent who wants us all to live in peace and harmony. It was not that Jesus was unaware of all the suffering, all the hard heartedness, the closedness and unbelief of people. He believed we could all come to see creation transfigured as Peter, James and John had seen. Seeing a transfigured creation would change the hardheartedness, the closedness and unbelief of God’s goodness. If we actually accomplished the do’s and don’t in this morning’s epistle, we would actually come to see a transfigured world.

Take even the last topic this morning in St. Paul’s list- seeking revenge. Seeking revenge leads to situations taking place in the Middle East right now. Granted, there is probably some legitimate self-defense taking place there, but revenge - taking has certainly played a part. You can think of many other examples I’m sure. While it temporarily might soothe the human heart to think someone else is going to pay if we suffer anything, the admonition to let God take care of the revenging is much healthier and wholesome. Even if our God is not the One who takes any revenge, we are so much better off not carrying the bitterness within that engenders revenge - taking.

What kind of God is our God? God does not repay evil with evil.

Let us look at Jesus' message of the good news.  God is not made in our image and likeness, being able of returning evil for good. Rather we are made in God’s image. We have that divine spark in us enabling us to become capable of being and doing good. We are capable of rejoicing, of being patient, of being hospitable to strangers, of blessing and praying for those who hurt us.

Let us be inspired by the Caananite woman whose faith in Jesus brought health to her daughter. Let our faith transfigure the entire cosmos.

Christ is in our midst!