24th Sunday. God as Hope

Why me Lord? A cry from people experiencing hardship, pain, death, doubts. Why me?  It can be gut wrenching to hear it, and of course more so to experience. Bad things happen and we want to know why. Did I deserve this? Is this God?  I think of all the people mourning loved ones who have died to COVID, cancers, who lost parents and loved ones 20 years ago, had to evacuate from fires, cannot find a decent place to live, who work their butts off but still can’t get ahead...why Me?  How many times was this cried out in St. Mary’s, Renown NMCC, in Haiti, Afghanistan, Mexico… or in NYC, Washington DC, in a field in Pennsylvania.

Why me? Why us?  Therein is our faith.

Generations struggled with this same question. We can read of this in the Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures. As the people struggled with disasters, with death yet a people called the chosen, they sought wisdom. That wisdom came. That wisdom was and is hope.

Hope that God, as the rock and as the strength, is ever present, will prevail.  Hope that God as Wisdom will guide them through it.  Hope that God as goodness, that goodness is more powerful than any evil, any sickness, any chaos.

Jesus reveals and lives the power of that hope. He wants us to live and reveal it too.

Jesus knew that he would face dark times; that even being Son of God would not prevent the pain. He also knew he did not deserve it. He knew that people would be overcome by their fears, their desires, their ego, but yet the Love of God would prevail.  Jesus wants us to have the same hope, the same trust: that we too can rise above this.

Peter saw, but he misunderstood what he saw. He saw the truth of Jesus, but he would not accept it. Peter rejected the notion of pain, because if Jesus accepted it, then he would have to accept it too.  Jesus reprimanded him and took him to a deeper level.

We can get so caught up at times in our own experiences. We can get caught up in our own drama, our own pain, so caught up in Why Me Lord? That we fail to look up and look out, and see God’s hope creating life.

It was in the generosity shown to help the evacuees by this parish, including some kids that raised over $300 selling lemonade. This is God’s hope made flesh, made real.

It was those who came to support a family mourning a death, who felt orphaned and alone. We were God’s hope for that daughter.

It was those who will give Sandwiches to the homeless on Sunday, our youth and young adults living out hope to the hungry.

It will be the phone call made to the friend who is lonely, the smile offered to the stranger...and so many other small gestures.

I have been privileged to hear many stories of people ready to give up, who had so little hope, and God did respond, God gave hope. People’s lives turned around. Understanding that God did not cause the pain, but God was present amid the pain.

We eat and drink hope here.  We come here to Eucharist with our losses and our gains, to grasp a deeper, bigger God.  We come to be comforted when we feel so challenged and overwhelmed,  We come to be challenged to go and comfort those in distress.  We come here each week to be reminded God is with us always. That even in those darkest of moments, God works to carry us through.

Hold on to that Hope. Hold on to that Trust. Keep our eyes up and look around; you will see that Hope; and you can be that Hope.