Matt's Blog

A couple years ago my brother and I came to an agreement about Christmas. We agreed that we both had more than we needed or deserved and that our Christmas money could be better spent elsewhere. Se each year he sends me an email telling me that he gave money to someone with less than they needed or deserved, and I send him a similar email.

The group that I have been sending money to for Christmas is called Living Water International. They build wells in places where people don't have access to clean water. Bringing communities both clean water and living water.

I wanted to share something from their publication that I think has to do with what we remember during communion.

(Article starts on page 11)

You hear the question a lot. Where is god when tragedy strikes, when storms tear apart lives, when sickness ravages the bodies of loved ones, when we are attacked by our enemies.

What if we look to Jesus to answer these questions. Where was God when the storms raged? He was there with his friends, bringing comfort. Where was God when people who were crippled, blind, and diseased cried out for help? He was there with them, bringing them healing. Where was God when a woman caught in sin was surrounded by those ready to take her life. He was there with her, shaming her accusers, and guiding her to a new way of living. Where was God in a world of those who are in and accepted and those who are down and out? God spent most of his time with the the outcasts and reprobates.

Where was God on the Friday after Jesus shared passover with his disciples? He was being beaten and crucified. Where was God on the next Saturday? On that Saturday, God was dead.

And yet, even today, when tragedy strikes, god is on the roof with us, waiting out the rain, singing with us. God visits aids patients in the hospital, and cancer patients, and car crash victims, and wounded soldiers, and abused children, and refugees from horrible political situations. God still spends his time with those that the rest of the world sees as expendable and worthless.

How does a god who is dead do all that? Of course it's because god's not dead. Because after being dead on Saturday, he rose on Sunday. And he told his followers that it was up to them, up to us, to do even greater things than he did. Us, the hands and feet of God.

So take the bread and juice, and this week, if you can see a place where God isn't working. Where the hungry are not being fed, the sick not cared for, the prisoners not visited, where outcasts remain outcasts, remember what has been done for you, then get up and listen. It may be time to get to work.