Hi everyone,
With the US election just a couple days away, some of my conversation around the table inevitably landed on the topic of politics, in spite of my best efforts to avoid it. I don’t consider myself an expert on this topic by any means, but it was hard not to notice how everything has changed as of late. It seems like gone are the days of candidates talking about future plans, policies they would like to introduce, and how they would run the government and continue to work for the good of society. And it’s like it’s all replaced with name calling, finger pointing, and gaslighting.
It’s kind of sad, really.
But what I find perhaps even more sad part is that the public eats it up. It’s like people want to see the fight, they want to pit team against team, they want to draw those lines in the sand. Maybe because then we’ll find the strength in numbers, the confidence in mob mentality, or even the identity in consensus. I’m not saying everyone is like this, but it’s starting to be a blaring majority to me.
And I think the problem isn’t coming out of ignorance or anything like that, but I wonder if it comes from a place of not knowing who to trust. I mean, there have been some bad things happen in the past, we have been let down in so many ways from all different sources, the effects of corruption and greed have been made apparent in our lives. So it’s hard to know who to trust, what to believe, and where to put our faith.
We want real. We want tangible. We want proof. It’s just that in this day and age, it seems like everything is insubstantial and subjective at best. So the question remains, who are we to trust?
Here are the readings for next week:
1 Kings 17:8-16
Psalm 146
Hebrews 9:24-28
Mark 12:38-44
And here the a video of those readings being read:
It might be obvious from the whole thing I wrote up there that I think these readings are about trust. The world has been unkind to many of us, especially those who have been marginalized. Specifically from the texts, the widows of the ancient world have had it exceptionally difficult. And so it makes it difficult to know who to trust.
The first reading has a widow who is starving because of the injustices of society. In the gospel we have a widow who is literally penniless because of the deficiencies of the church. In our world, we see time and again people slipping through the cracks of a system that favours mostly the privileged select few.
And we’re expected to trust the powers that be?
I’m not saying we need a revolution or anything like that. But I think we need to take a step back and see what has been trustworthy in our lives and beyond. What are the tried and true principles that we’ve seen that we can live by? Where, in this very messy and difficult life, can we see God?
I don’t know if there is a who where we can find these answers, like we aren’t going to meet an Elijah who will give us perpetual food, I don’t think. Rather, I think God can be seen in the generosity not just of strangers but within ourselves. I think God’s presence can be felt in the grace and love of community. I think God resides most clearly when we are living for each other rather than ourselves.
And this isn’t easy, I know. True selflessness is difficult and often thankless. Giving is hard especially when no one helps to fill our cups back up.
This is where I think the trust comes in. Trust in community. Trust in the love shared in relationships. Trust in God, who is the very embodiment of all that is good.
Still, this isn’t easy. It will take time for any of us. But I believe that God is faithful and just, and will be with us and help us and strengthen us. That is a promise that I can put my trust in.
Thanks be to God! Have a great week, everyone!
Photo by Austin Kehmeier on Unsplash