Thursday, April 24, 2014

CONFUSED

Baxter is confused. Although he has begun his spring time shedding to thin out his fur, he can’t figure out the season. Some days it is sunny, warm and beautiful outside. He sits on the sill with the window wide open and enjoys the sights and sounds of life bursting forth in the yard. At other times, the windows are shut; the sky is gray; rain mixed with snow is falling; it looks like November 30th rather than April 30th. What is happening? Is this global warming, divine retribution or just the usual quirks of weather in Southwestern Pennsylvania? One day, Baxter is lying on his soft blanket all huddled in a ball to keep warm, and the next day, he is sprawled out on the kitchen tile hoping to cool off. He can’t be sure of what to expect from one day to the next.

We sometimes feel the same way, don’t we? Life gets full of uncertainty. What is going to happen to my job, my kids, my health, our peaceful world? While everyone complains about the weather, the climate of our lives raises larger and more profound concerns. We begin to live with worries. We think about the losses, pains and struggles that could happen, and we get anxious and preoccupied with possible disasters. After all, we have witnessed the violence of a mass school stabbing, of drug deaths, of unemployment, of terrorism and lifethreatening diagnoses in our backyards. What is next? How will we handle another disaster close to home? Will we be up to the challenge?

We need to take a deep breath, not just of air but of the Spirit of the Risen Lord. When Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, the breath of His Spirit brought two messages, fear not and peace. In the face of the list of disasters we named, these messages may seem naive and weak, but we need to think again. What do fear-mongering and rabble-rousing lend to solving the threats we face? Nothing. They confuse our thinking, cloud our judgment, and pit us against each other. The Spirit calls for clear and reasonable approaches, right judgment and unity in the Body of Christ. These are only possible if we rely upon a power that penetrates the crust of confusion our fears generate. This is the Spirit.

The peace of the Spirit is not a settled, comfort zone where nothing ever goes wrong. The peace the Risen Christ bestows is a deep sense of confidence in God working through us. It doesn’t guarantee to meet our expectations by regulating life according to our plan. It doesn’t assure that nothing bad or difficult or tragic will ever happen. It calls us to change course at times, to include new faces in our circle, to compromise what we want for what is best for the common good. These are the weapons of the Spirit that build a new understanding of God’s ways and our ways with God. Armed with this power of grace, we can face the disasters life brings without being overwhelmed or becoming cynical about the possibilities for a better world. Once we are touched by the peace of the Risen Lord, we can’t stop trying to conquer sin and death in whatever way we discover works.

So don’t worry if you are confused at times. The world can become a confusing place. Even Baxter will vouch for that. But get beyond your confusion with the help God offers in the Spirit who conquered the world. He will show us a new way, a better way, a way not yet imagined, but one leading us from confusion to wisdom, and from wisdom to peace.