THE PLAN

THE PLAN

            Until the invention of cameras, the chronicles of events depended solely on the eyewitness accounts.  Each account of course, having its own perspective, thereby making the description of the whole event questionable.  And so it is with the Bible. The wonderful thing is that even if those who wrote the Bible were swayed by outside influences, the plan of God emerges whole and intact. 

            When the scriptures are read backward as it were, that is from Christ to Adam, the pattern is easier to see.  The chaotic development of the human race appears to be random, but here and there God intervenes to keep that development on the path toward Jesus Christ.  God really did appear as a burning bush, did part the waters for the escape from Egypt, did make it possible for women who were barren or too old to give birth, to give birth anyway!

            To us, the Birth of Christ, that is, the actual birth of Christ is very important but to the Gospel writers it was just the beginning and not vital to their mission of spreading the Good News.  Happily God intervened again to give us St. Luke who provided enough detail to see the pattern. 

Why did Jesus come? The only valid answer is, to show us God, to invite us to become part of the life of God.   To say Jesus died to open the gates of heaven is misleading.  The life of God is borderless.  It is not a place, there are no pearly gates, there is no great book of our sins, only God. We are invited into the life of God, not there, but here! Jesus died to show us the way, the way of love and absolute trust.

God does not intend for us to know him thoroughly only when our life on earth is over.  God came himself to earth to invite us into his life now!  Only a few people got it then and even less get it now. 

Every person who decries the empty pews in church has missed the point completely.  God is not bound by doors.  God is revealed in the people who make sandwiches for the homeless and go out at night to find and feed them.  God is revealed in the first responder who sacrifices his/her comfort and security to go to the aid of the stricken. God is revealed in the parents who sacrifice their own lives to protect their children. God is revealed in the people who are discriminated against because their creation by God is deemed an abomination. God is revealed in everyone who sees the Spirit of God in others.

We parrot that God is love, yet we do not behave as though that were true.  We decide that God is judging our neighbors. We have decided they are sinners and consequently have constructed our own version of God where love is tempered by our prejudices.  Our reason for being is not to attain heaven, but to live the life of God here on earth. That’s the plan.

Blessings

Carol Lemelin OPA