Now may God himself, our Father, and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen. (1 Thessalonians 3:11-13)
Jesus said to his disciples: "Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. (Matthew 24:42)
Piety
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for You Jesus or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine…
When all I will do is forever,
Forever worship you
I can only imagine.
(from “I Can Only Imagine”, MercyMe, The Worship Project album, 1999)[i]
Study
For many years I’ve worked in health care and have often heard people tell me that “Her illness came on so quickly” or “He was so healthy until he fell…” Consequently, there had been no time to prepare. Mudslides, earthquakes, bombing runs, and traffic accidents are as unpredictable as they are tragic. Even an anticipated natural disaster (such as a hurricane) impacts in unanticipated, horrific ways. One would think that the servant put in charge would know that the master is coming back! But humans can be quite in denial, authoring our own narrative, choosing to believe and then acting rather irrationally. Why we act as if we are the masters?
Paul encouraged the community at Thessalonika that in order to serve Jesus they must companion and serve each other. They were, as we are today, bound to each other by the common good which is founded on the God’s creation. God has given with open hands to each person. We have varied gifts and are asked to complete different tasks. Some of us are more productive and are “larger” than others in influence. But each is beloved of the Master who leaves us in charge of His creation. In today’s world, we are often faced with others with whom we do not agree but God asks us to grant them love, respect, and access to the common good which are God’s gifts to dispense.
Action
One of my mottos as a healthcare professional has been “no surprises.” By communicating fully with others, by preparing for the next steps or developing needed skills, I and my colleagues hope to be ready when the unexpected happens because the expected has been dealt with to our best abilities. When the unlooked-for hour arrives, we can pivot and handle that.
How ready are we for the Master to say to us “Your hour has come?” Have I dealt with the anticipated? Have I spent time with God in formation? Have I loved the neighbor God has given me to love? Am I ready to pivot and say “Yes, Lord, I am Yours.”
Have I found a way to help those devastated by the disaster who are members of my human community although not my next-door neighbors?
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