Life is pretty expansive. Life is huge.
By that I mean that it has a whole lot going on . . . probably more than
any of us can keep up with when added to our own busy lives. There is probably a whole lot more to life
than most of us are even aware of . . . it is huge!
In a recent issue of the Billings Gazette I saw that there were
several incidents of people being tried for their fourth, fifth, and even tenth
DUIs in the local courts. I saw an
article about the growing problem of homelessness and public intoxication in
Billings . . . already up to the previous year’s numbers and we haven’t even
reached the half-way point in this year.
I saw at least two articles about parents abusing their children. Saw an article about the mess that health care
is in for those who are poor . . . for those on reservations . . . for those
who are in the veterans system. I read
an article about someone losing their house to a fire.
And, that was just in Billings!
Add to that stories about war in the
Middle East and other locations around the world. Throw in the constant turmoil found in a lot
of third world nations. Sprinkle in the
situation with the kidnapped school girls in Africa. Mix in the natural disasters that pop up and
create havoc in the world. Plus the
constant reminders of those people who are poor, hungry, and homeless around
the world. Life is huge . . .
. . . and, who really has the time to
care?
Who has the time to care when there
are our own lives to live. We all live
busy lives. We work. We pay bills.
We take care of our property. We
keep up with our families and friends.
We have hobbies and things that we like to do. We support groups and organizations. We work some more. We support our community. We support our church. We support the local school, library, and
community center. And, we work some
more.
We have our own problems and issues
that we are attempting to take care of.
We are getting older. Our bodies
are changing and aging and protesting what we once used to do. We have older parents . . . children with
growing families . . . and, they all vie for our time and attention.
Then throw in Mother Nature . . .
Mother Nature who never seems to want to play by our rules, but her own. When we want rain, we get drought. When we want dry, we get rain. We want a nice, slow, steady snow melt . . .
we get a week of way above average temperatures that accelerates the snow melt
to the point that there is talk about flooding.
Yes, our lives are big, too! Our lives are busy. And, in the end, who really cares? Who has the time to care? It feels like no one.
Do we really care about what is
happening in Billings . . . probably not because Billings is where we run in,
take care of our business, and get the heck out. Do we really care about the way that the
world is playing out . . . probably not because all that stuff is out there . .
. it isn’t that we are not aware of it, but it is not really effecting our
lives that much here. It is difficult to
care for things and people who are not intimately involved in our sphere of
life . . . pretty “much out of sight, out of mind.” So, who cares!
That is the question that is being
posed in the early church as the followers of Jesus begin making their presence
known in the world in which they are living.
That is the question being asked as these followers of Jesus begin to
live what Jesus spoke, taught, and exemplified in his own life. That is a the question that these followers
are concerned with as they attempt to do what they feel God is calling them to
do and it is making everyone else angry.
Not only angry, but vindictive and mean . . . and, violent. They want to know . . . who cares about
us? Who cares about what we are trying
to do? Who cares?
Who cares because it sure doesn’t feel
like anyone does. Actually, it feels as
if the opposite is true . . . the followers are ridiculed . . . they are
insulted . . . they are persecuted . . . they are physically attacked . . .
they are thrown into prison . . . and, some are even killed. Through it all, no one comes to their aid . .
. no one comes to their defense . . . no one cares what is happening to these
people. They want to know, who cares?
God cares.
That is what the writer tells these
followers of Jesus . . . God cares. The
writer writes: “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right
time he will lift you up in honor. Give
all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” God cares and God will take care of you. Because God cares, suggests the writer, do
not give up hope . . . do not give up the Way of Jesus . . . continue to do the
will of God despite no one else caring . . . despite persecution . . . despite
hardship. God cares.
If we are to be honest with ourselves,
we would have to admit that from time to time in our lives we throw little pity
parties for ourselves. That there are
times in our lives when we wonder whether or not anyone really even knows
whether or not we even exist much less care about us. Times in our lives where we echo the question
of “who cares?” As I stated earlier,
life is huge . . . life is bigger than most of us can handle, and that includes
our own lives.
Life is huge . . . and, life is
difficult. Most us have probably earned
more than one advanced degree from the University of Hard Knocks. Yet, God never said that it would be easy . .
. never promised that it would be easy.
Neither did Jesus make such a promise when asking us to follow him and
his ways in our lives. No, in fact,
Jesus said that it would be tough . . . he told us to pick up our crosses and
follow him. The writer of our reading
this morning reiterates this when writing: “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the
fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to
you.” Life is huge . . . and,
life is tough.
But, God cares. God cares through a constant presence that
surrounds us like the air that we breathe.
God cares by providing us with love and grace that frees us to walk in
the footsteps of Jesus and live life in his ways. God takes care of us . . . through the good
times and through the difficult times.
This we are promised because God cares . . . we are not alone. Because God cares, suggests the writer, we
should care too.
We should care about doing God’s
will. We should care about God’s family
. . . here, there, and everywhere. We
should care about loving others . . . taking care of others . . . walking with
others whether they are our next door neighbor or some stranger on the other
side of the world. We should care,
because God cares.
Life might be bigger than any of us
can handle. Life might be a whole more
difficult than we expected. Life can be
pretty overwhelming . . . but, we are never forgotten . . . we are never
alone. God cares about us . . . always
cares about us . . . when it seems as if no one else in the world does. In that caring we find the strength to carry
on for another day . . . to walk in the footsteps of Jesus to love and care. We just need to keep reminding ourselves . .
.
When no one else seems to care . . .
God cares! There is blessing in that
knowledge. Amen.
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