"Who Indeed... Beloved."

I ask for the grace to receive what I need for this day.  I pray for the homeless couple that spent the night camping inside our hedge whom we have now had to ask to leave.  They are leaving now, though his behaviour is aggressive.  We don't need to watch the news about Las Vegas to experience pain, aggression and violence.  I am deeply grateful for the ministry we do to reduce the pain.  But "the poor will always be with" us.  May we know an follow Jesus more closely, seeking justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly.

Romans 9:19-26

19 You will say to me then, ‘Why then does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?’ ²⁰But who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? Will what is moulded say to the one who moulds it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ ²¹Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one object for special use and another for ordinary use? ²²What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath that are made for destruction; ²³and what if he has done so in order to make known the riches of his glory for the objects of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— ²⁴including us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? ²⁵As indeed he says in Hosea,
‘Those who were not my people I will call “my people”,
   and her who was not beloved I will call “beloved”. ’
²⁶ ‘And in the very place where it was said to them, “You are not my people”,
   there they shall be called children of the living God.’

1) "...still find fault;" "...his will;" "...who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God?" "...Why have you made me like this?" "...endured with much patience;" "...made for destruction;" "...the riches of his glory;:" "...my people; " "...beloved;" "...children of the living God."

2) The mistake is in thinking the will of God is anything like the will of human beings.  I think it is a mistake to even call it "will."  We only understand "agency" from our own small view.  God's will is nothing like that.  "Who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God?"  If God willed the way humans "will" then God would seem capricious, and unjust.  But God does not "will" the way humans will.  God's power is not like our power.  God's knowledge is not like our knowing.  God's wisdom is not like our wisdom.  It is arrogance  and conceit to compare God's way of being with our way of being.  All in all, I think it better to accept that what is, is.  And God offers us what we need to meet the circumstances before us.  Like Mr Rodgers said, "look for the helpers."  Look for where grace breaks in.

3) To reserve judgement for God alone.  To focus on the glory.

"Holy One, make your glory known."

Breathprayer: "Who indeed... beloved."