God's love as beginning and end and now - is also the makings of the life that happens along the way. Sunday's text for the sermon was the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den - at least that is how the story is named. Unfortunately, if we only look at that amazing bit of rescue and faithfulness, I would suggest we miss much of the story. The beauty of the Daniel story is that it begins somewhere else in time. Yes, that time is always within the domain of the love of God, but let's go back to time as ordinary time - everyday time - the time we often wish would move more quickly and sometimes more slowly. There along the way within the times of life - Daniel's life in this case - stories were told. Imagine Daniel not as the man in the cave but the boy - the child - the teen - the young adult - hearing about this God as love. The stories would not be mere 'lessons' about what love means, they would be stories of God's faithfulness that could be seen within the way God's love inspired 'regular' folks to walk in the way of extraordinary love. The stories that we share in order to bring this love to life among us are stories in which we can see love changing life into something more like the living presence of God. I love those stories - I need those stories - I want to follow along the way of those stories. This is me speaking - not Daniel. In my faithful imagination though, Daniel was moved in a similar fashion. That is why he went up to pray three times a day. That is one way faithful people remember the unfolding reality of God's love. From there - from our active remembering - we are invited to face whatever beasts may come upon us along the way. O God of love and new life, in each of the steps we take within this day we long to be walking within the way of your love that is the power to make all things new. Amen. O God of love and new life, be our hope and consolation. Amen. |
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