Love Mercy, Do Justice March 2023 Scripture Reflection
John 1:1-5. “In the beginning the Word already existed. The word was with God, and the Word was God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it.
I have a very close friend who has gone through cancer treatments and a liver transplant and has withstood a lot of trials over the past three years. Early in his treatment, he spent a week at a monastery to “be alone with God.” I totally understood this, and he was on a long journey that would test his faith, his strength and his personal relationships.
I recently had a conversation with him, and asked him, when he went to be alone with God – did he get the answers he needed? He said the prayer, solitude and presence of God he experienced there truly helped and blessed him, but he did not leave with answers to his questions. Instead, he sensed God saying, I don’t want you to have the answers to your questions. I want you to have me, and do not worry, I am with you always.
As we have experienced in our study of Colossians these past few weeks, it is too easy for those of us in the Western world to need all the answers. But we have learned – Christ is all, and He is all we need. His light does shine in the darkness and can never be extinguished. As I travel through days of faithlessness and darkness in the world; sickness and death, earthquakes, war, mass shootings, injustice all around us, I need to focus daily on God’s Kingdom and keep my focus on Christ.