Taking the Long View

Christians are supposed to be optimistic! After all, Scripture is loaded with the eventual wholeness of Creation: God wins! And yet…it may be my advancing Old Age, but I oftentimes feel that Murphy may have been right… The GOOD news is that even though laments seem to have risen from the beginning of time, we’re not done yet. Lessons for the upcoming weekend–not including those congregations observing All Saint’s this weekend–lean toward those of us who are naturally gloomy.

After the opening lament, HABAKKUK 2:1-4 pictures the watchman at the top of the tower taking the long view; that is, the prophet/priest scans the horizon for a word of hope from God. And that word came: “For there still is a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. lf it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.” The Church must keep on looking for this vision–and celebrating those small instances of personal fulfillment where we’ve seen God at work.

Who wrote II THESSALONIANS, and does it matter? The opening greeting is from “Paul, Silvanus & Timothy”, indicating a team approach to planting church congregations. According to this greeting, there IS a peace in troubled times that appears through Christ. At times the troubles of the world drive folks together for mutual support, and perhaps the Grace of God is accentuated by this gathering (verses 1-4) What is the “worthiness” of God’s call (verses 11-12)? Some translate this word as “deserving”: not that we are now, but in the love of Christ shall be…

Can anyone read the story of Zacchaeus (LUKE 19:1-10) without singing the song? (When I asked Zacchaeus for a loan, he replied that he was a little short, today…) Anyway, he climbed a nearby tree to get a better look at Jesus; a new perspective, if you will. Now Zacchaeus wasn’t really a bad guy, he was dissed because he worked for The Man–Caesar. Moreover, he seemed to be head of a pyramid scheme involving other tax-collectors. He was looking at the long view of Jesus/God drawing near, and renewed his own commitment to charitable love of the downtrodden. This is a story about Grace developing off the horizon, more than one of Z’s new vision.

Habakkuk, Zacchaeus and Paul all climbed to new heights to check the horizon for God’s Goodness. “It hurts a lot when the wicked win at your expense. God’s promise is what we have to rely on: though it tarry, it will come. Though it linger, it will arrive. How do we find the patience to wait…?” (Donna Schaper, in FEASTING on the WORD, C 4:243)

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Every Tuesday I explore the texts assigned by the Lectionary to services on the upcoming weekend. Join me at horacebrownking.com