How Much Longer

We look around and deep within our spirit we yearn for justice, for God to avenge his name on a world that claims to see, but whose eyes are open only to its own desires. We wonder why God waits, how much crueler must the world become before God moves. Some call this tension, some call it balance, but in the Old Testament God always waits till the time is full, till nations have completely filled their cups with sin, and yet, God waits till the last passenger boards the ark.

In my limited understanding God seems to wait for two completely opposite reasons, till our sins have completely filled our cups, and until the last possible person can be saved. How is it that so often God seems to be 'both-and' rather than 'either-or?'

Jeremiah 32:18-19 is a good example of this. It says, "You show steadfast love to the thousandth generation, but repay the guilt of parents into the laps of their children after them, O great and mighty God whose name is the Lord of hosts, great in counsel and mighty in deed; whose eyes are open to all the ways of mortals, rewarding all according to their ways and according to the fruit of their doings."

It always helps to take a good look at God's nature before we think we understand scripture. God will never betray God's own nature, but in the passage above God is both merciful and just, showing mercy for a thousand generations and at the same time allowing the guilt of the parents to fall on their children. God knows our sins and our good works, but God also knows how our sins and good works will impact the generations that come after us.

When we are trying to wait for God to move it seems that God comes at the last possible instant, or not at all, yet God is always here, and always moves on time. Mary and Martha said if Jesus had been there 'earlier' their brother would not have died. I've always thought they meant that in an accusing way. After all, they were just people like you and me. Don't we accuse God of allowing this or that to happen, allowing a loved one to die 'before their time,' (this means before we are ready), allowing disease and natural disasters? We aim these and many more accusations at God, and then, when God is silent, we claim God does not exist. Maybe we should take a lesson and be quieter when someone accuses us.

For Mary and Martha, and often for you and me, it seems God will act too late. Mary and Martha soon realized that Jesus was right on time. At the right time, we will know that too.

God hears our every word and knows our every thought. God sees everything we do, and everything we should have done. Despite this, despite us, God chooses to be touched by our every pain. We want God one way or the other, judge or nurse, father or mother, male or female, black or white. We want God to be predictable, within our own understanding, in a box.

We are upset that God will not submit to the scientific method, so we who are in the box declare that God who is both in the box and out of the box does not exist. How do you declare that something does not exist that is outside of everything you know? How do you handle a God who is both in the box and out of the box? You don't. God is not a personality to be handled. We are called to love God and trust God and if we do, we will obey God.

The Bible says that even those who have gone to be with the Lord ask, "How much longer?"

Part of obeying God means we have to trust God's timing. We have been told to avoid the fortune tellers and those who claim to be able to predict the future. If those who are with the Lord ask how much longer, why should we think anyone else knows the answer? Take their hand out of your pocket and flee. We are called to leave God's timing to God. God has told us we will know the seasons.

It's gray, rainy and getting chillier outside. The ground is alive with brown, gold and orange leaves. Winter is on the way. Like a friend told me yesterday, "I am an ambassador now, but I will be a soldier soon."