We Don't Know Squat

Thursday, June 12, 2008 -- Week of Proper 5
Enmegahbowh, Priest and Missionary, 1902

Today's Reading for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 971)
Psalms [70], 71 (morning) 74 (evening)
Ecclesiastes 11:1-8
Galatians 5:16-24
Matthew 16:13-20

"Just as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother's womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything."

A principle theme of Ecclesiastes is that we don't know squat. Life is full of perplexity and mystery. Chance abounds and certainty is elusive. It is enough to accept this reality, do the best you can, and enjoy whatever delight may come your way. Anything more than this is silly, human pride.

I appreciate Ecclesiastes whenever I hear preachers who are full of certainties. Triumphalist Christianity is popular today. If you channel surf and listen to Christian programming, note how much is devoted to themes like living victoriously, being successful, knowing some things with certainty. I can imagine the Teacher -- the author of Ecclesiastes -- clicking the remote and muttering, "Vanity, vanity, and a chasing after wind."

It seems strange as I read the scripture day by day that so much of contemporary Christianity makes Belief primary. So many denominations and preachers equate faith with the content of some collection of beliefs. They seem to say: If you believe "X" with some degree of certainty and commitment -- if you understand and consent with your mind -- then you are in great shape (or saved). If you don't give your mental consent, you are doomed. There are a few places you can find that notion in scripture, but it is not a very prevalent theme. And Eccelsiastes intends to challenge such notions straight-on.

The more prevalent notion in scripture treats faith as a verb, not a noun. Faith is an open attitude of trust, living faithfully within the mystery. That's very different from THE Faith as a body of content that one gives intellectual assent to. Faith is living in a spirit that puts one's hope in God, especially when we don't know anything with certainty, certainly not the mysterious, free God. As Paul said yesterday, "the only thing that counts is faith working through love" (or an alternative translation, "faith made effective through loving acts").

Life in the Spirit is our willing openness to the presence and mystery of God in every time, place, person and thing. We don't know what God is up to. We don't know much of anything. Nevertheless, we trust the mystery of it all, and make that trust effective through loving acts.

Paul offers some general markers of what the fruit of this life in the Spirit looks like: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things." He offers some contrasts to give warning when we are moving in the wrong direction: "fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these."

There are some Christians who will look at some forms of "love, joy, peace, etc." being manifest from someone who doesn't believe "right," and they will condemn the fruit of the Spirit that is right before their eyes. Too many of us engage in subtle forms of "jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions" and the like while justifying ourselves because we believe we are defending the truth.

Ecclesiastes reminds us over and over, we don't know squat. Life is difficult. Life is mysterious. We're all in this boat together. Be gentle with one another. Enjoy what you can. You don't have to know much of anything to love. Jesus said, "love one another," and "love God, self, and neighbor." Paul said, "the only thing that counts is faith working through love." That's enough. Let it be. Much more than that is vanity. "Whoever observes the wind will not sow; and whoever regards the clouds will not reap." So relax. Let go of control. Most things are beyond our control anyway. "Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie." "Eat, drink, be merry; in the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not let your hands be idle; for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good." What do we know? Not much. Okay. So trust God, and practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty. The only thing that counts is faith working through love.

Lowell

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About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life

We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Lowell Grisham, Rector

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas