Tuesday 8 September 2009

Between me forgetting to post on Friday and Monday as a holiday, I hope coming back to Willimon on hope will not be too alien.

For humans to attempt to deny the work of Christ (and Barth seems unwilling to give such denial more than the status of an attempt) is a nonsensical, irrational act. But of course we do stupid things all the time. It is risky to swim against the tide of divine grace, but we often try. To attempt to will something that is against the will of God is to put one's puny little choices and pitiful little will against the desires of God, which is stupid. Whether rebellious, intransient, stupid human resistance to God's desires can go on forever, in the light of Barth's strong emphasis of the vitorious grace of God, is dubious. Still, we commit so many dubious self-destructive acts now, in this life, in this world, who can say for sure that we may not continue into whatever future is given?

I'm not much of a swimmer and I know that when I am at a beach attempthing to swim along the beach, I'm never able to move very far - most often I end up taken by the tide. Grace as a tide that cannot be overcome is a powerful image. I think of those small pools in which swimmers swim against a forced current. The pools can be small because no one can defeat that current rushing at them. It is meant to keep you in one place. In the case of divine grace, we cannot even stay in one place. Grace can and will alter everything - our whole life. God will not relinquish the gift and the grip upon us nor will God leave us thinking that we have been able to go it alone. For as long as we claim to be in control or able to resist God's invitation to rest and be at home, there will be our God outlasting our claims to be our own lord of life.

Connection: It is not at all easy to be reminded of God's will in the face of our own plans.

Lord of Life, when you remind us of our place within your gracious Reign, it can be too much for us to hear. We often want to hear and then speak a limited word. Then again, you prevail through all time so that your voice becomes the truth of our days. Amen.