Living in the Spirit

September 24, 2020

Scripture Reading: Psalm 25:1-9

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
   do not let me be put to shame;
   do not let my enemies exult over me.
Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
   let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
   teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
   for you are the God of my salvation;
   for you I wait all day long. –Psalm 25:1-5

The Oklahoma City bombing shook the building a couple of miles away, where I worked. We quickly turned on radios and TVs to see want had happened and were greeted with the awful pictures of the destruction. My immediate reaction was to think I had to do something, but the reporters were saying stay away let the emergency responders do their jobs, your help will be needed later. In just a few minutes, a call for O- blood was issued, giving me something to do. I left my office and headed toward the blood bank about ten blocks away. About four blocks from the blood bank entrance, I encountered the back of the line of donors. Thinking that would take too long, I drove to a bank that had converted into a blood donation site and found the same situation. This time I joined the back of the line. In less then five minutes, someone came by asking if any of us had O- blood. I was promptly moved to the much shorter back of the universal donor line.

When COVID-19 struck, we older folk all got a similar message. The best thing we could do for the pandemic was to stay home, wash our hands often, and if we did go out, wear a mask. I felt a similar frustration to COVID that I had with the bombing, as I restricted my life within what seems to be a counterintuitive lack of activity. Of course, in both instances, there was plenty to do in the following days. I have become reasonably capable of hosting or participating in Zoom meetings, enhanced my prayer life, and read many books that broadened my thinking.

The problem with living in a troubled world is that hyper-reaction response is necessary for emergencies, but when it lingers, it becomes a detriment to progress. This whole year we have been caught in the web of uncertainty and disconnections. The Psalmist above is telling us to take the time to trust God. God does work through us and wants us to be of service to others, but we can only be productive in our work if we take the time to get in sync with God each day, be alert to what actions (or inactions) are needed. These times when it is hard to trust anything, are the exact times when we need to trust God most.

Prayer:
Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
   teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
   for you are the God of my salvation;
   for you I wait all day long. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.