“I’ve lived a full life. I’m not afraid to die. Did God forget about me?”
“I’ve made mistakes. I deserve the consequences. It’s just…how long do I have to pay for them?”
“I thought I was doing it right. So why do I struggle to be with my family, my friends, my life?”
These are a few of the lines that I have heard and felt deep within my soul as people shared with me in a moment of honesty.
As a species we are bold. We know how to put our best foot forward. Even with all of that there is something that all of us cannot run from and that is doubt. It chases us like a pack of starving wolves through the dark of challenging times.
Why don’t the answers come a little more easily? Why must ever victory in life be achieved by a long walk or what seems like endless adversity?
Some say that what we need is a shift in our ego; ending the pursuit of our self-righteousness, our pride and greed.
Others will say that we must empty ourselves of ourselves in pursuit of the greater good and light.
These are great for a while. We can achieve peace for a while. What happens when that “while” wears off?
Still others will say you just got to believe, have faith, hope beyond all hope and trust that it will all work out in the end.
This too is a worthy pursuit, until it stops working.
These are incomplete without God and it is God’s teaching to us that we are to love God and neighbors that complete these pursuits in transforming our lives. This may not seem like a logical solution, but it is the most practical and effective solution. How much of an impact on the hurting and lost would we make if we pursued a true love of God and neighbor. A kind of love that sits, listens, and invites.
I know it’s not easy, but it may be that those who feel abandoned are waiting for us to step up and dare to love.
Rev. Shawn J. Smith 