03/14/2005: "Reflections on Sunday's readings"

I love the Sunday readings during Lent for year A. They walk the faithful down an important path by spending time focusing on the "big" events documented in the Gospel of John.

However, this year was different for me. For some reason the story of the raising of Lazarus fell flat. Something about hearing the story as often as I have made it feel repetitive. Maybe I wasn't as open to it because I was in the dreaded "cry room" (which I've always believed refers to the parents, not the kids).

However, one line from the first reading from Ezekiel stuck with me and I realized that it had stuck with me the previous times I have heard these readings. How true do these words ring?:

"I have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD."

How much easier our lives would be if we could just accept those words as Truth. I often see myself questioning God or His methods or His will. I feel like I'm doing things right, but the situation is not turning out the way I hoped. From those "facts" I determine that the problem must be God's because I'm CLEARLY doing everything right.

It reminds me a joke about a phone tech. support person as a child:

Two children are playing with a "string telephone" (you know, two cups connected by a string). The future tech. support guy pulls too hard on his "phone" and the string comes out. He proceed to talk into the cup at great length. After a while the other boy comes over and says that he can't hear a word the boy is saying. The boy replies, "well, I'm speaking in the the phone just fine, so the problem must be on your end."

I know I have this attitude with God far too often. I believe that I am doing everything right and therefore it must be someone elses fault. God must be letting me down.

But God makes it clear that He keeps His promises. It should be re-assuring to us. It helps us to know that when God promises, we can take that promise to the bank. It should stop us from dispairing "why God are you failing me?" and turn our question into "I know that God delivers on his promises. How can in, in the spirit of that confidence, tap into that promise?"

May God give us all the peace of knowing His faithfulness to us.