“…chose this day who you will serve…” --Joshua 24:15
A long, long time ago, someone accused me of being indecisive. At the time, I couldn’t decide whether the person was right… or wrong. A few years ago, I participated in a week long Conflict Transformation course presented by the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center where we learned skills for mediating conflict and using disagreement creatively within the life of the church. It was an excellent course and I would highly recommend it! During that course, I learned I had a gift for seeing both sides of most issues. That gift is useful for mediation, but is also a curse that frequently leaves one balancing in precarious indecision on barbed wire fences. Over the years, I have learned to be more decisive, but it still doesn’t come naturally.
I am grateful that my salvation does not depend on my ability to decide, but rather, on God’s willingness to decide for me. The story of the Bible is, at it’s heart, the story of God choosing for humanity. God chose to create us. God chose to call Abraham and Sarah and bring a blessing from their progeny. God chose to rescue God’s people from Egypt and bring them home from Exile. God chose to send prophets to call the people back to faithfulness time and time again. And, when the time was right, God chose to send God’s Son, to come among us, die for us and rise again so that we might have life and have it abundantly. In this week’s Gospel, Jesus says, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.” I rejoice that, down through time, the Father has granted humanity, and me, and you that gift again, and again and again.
But, God also gives us the ability to choose. I have a strong belief in human agency. That too is a gift from God. Unfortunately, down through the ages, we human beings have frequently used that agency to choose poorly. Sin – our estrangement from God and from one another – clouds our judgment and results in pain, suffering and sorrow; injustice and oppression, tragedy and death. God always chooses for us. But we always have the option of choosing against God. When we do, bad things eventually result.
The verse from Joshua quoted above begins, “Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve…” In other words, you have two choices: serve God or pick something else. But the implication is that the “something else” never measures up. Not even close. Peter essentially says the same thing when Jesus asked the disciples if they are going to walk away like others have, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life…” (6:68) What choice is there really? Peter says. Joshua bases his choice on all that God has done for the Hebrew slaves in the Exodus. Peter bases his choice on all his experiences with Jesus. We base our choice on an empty tomb. We are free to pick something else to base our life upon… but, as people of the Resurrection, why would we?
I can still succumb to the scourge of indecision sometimes. I have learned to embrace it as a gift – especially when I am helping people work through a conflict. But, because I know God has chosen me, it makes it possible for me to choose God… even on those days when my faith wavers with doubt and uncertainty. Maybe especially on those days.
Peace,
Bishop Mike
Thank-you for reading. This will be my last “On the Way” for a while. Starting next week, I will be taking a three month sabbatical to do a little traveling, immerse myself in writing a book, relax and recharge. My next “On the Way” will be for the First Sunday in Advent and will post on Friday, November 30. Really. It’s not that far away. In the mean time, God bless you and keep you always!
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