Who’s In Charge Here?

There’re so many cartoons of a space-alien, complete with flying saucer, saying to a human–or maybe the cat– “Take me to your leader”. We’ve asked the same question for generations–centuries!–of each other in a strange land, “Who’s in charge here?” In the tradition of the American myth of independence, we usually answer, “I am”. It’s so difficult to acknowledge that we’re NOT in charge of the world/our neighborhood/our house…. Scriptures this weekend will address our need to be in control.

Acts 10:44-48 is the tag to the story of Peter’s housetop vision where God pronounces ALL animals “clean”, an allegory of all people (even Gentiles!) being created in a holy image and pronounced “good”. Peter is immediately summoned to the home of Cornelius, a Roman centurion; and there he preaches God’s blanket affirmation to even these occupation interlopers. To the marvel of everyone, the Holy Spirit came upon the company, “even on the Gentiles”! Hearers of our generation are invited to know that there’s a Power even above ourselves which is accomplishing mighty acts, whether we or our traditions agree with them or not.

The Epistle, I John 5:1-6, contains these startling words: “whatever is born of God conquers the world”. We would-be world-beaters are urged to look again at this greater Power, thus subjecting ourselves to the belief that Jesus is the Son of God. Believing is one thing; yielding to God’s commandments of love is another. Try as I may, I can’t get rid of my vulgar habits…especially in traffic! I guess the only way for improvement is to admit that God’s will is greater than my own; and to let that will take over my spiteful impulses…

John’s Gospel spends a great deal of time on Jesus’ farewell discourse at the Last Supper, five chapters out of twenty-one, a quarter of the account–so the author must have sensed a central importance, here. In this segment, Jesus tells his friends, “You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit…” There have been many words expended urging listeners to “choose Christ”, yet this passage takes it to a Higher Authority. John’s Gospel is full of the initiative of God–from the Prologue of “coming into the world” to the Resurrection narratives and subsequent appearance. Hearers are called to accept the glories of Creation and the ensuing daily wonders done in our midst, not by ourselves but through the presence of the Christ. “And for us living in a culture that celebrates self-autonomy and choice, these words my call us back to an awareness of God’s initiative in seeking us out, gathering us into a community, and sending us into the world.” (Thomas H. Troeger, FEASTING on the WORD B 2:501)

Sometimes I’m overwhelmed by the barrage of commercials extolling the Good Life. If I only would buy such’n’such, I’d be eternally happy! Or at least be able to cope with fearsome bodily conditions. Somewhere to all of us the tale of self-fulfillment by our strength/wisdom/glamor runs out: we’re left in the desert to cry out to a God who’s really in charge. Kyrie eleison.

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

My encounter with scripture assigned to the upcoming weekend can be viewed every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com