4th Sunday after Easter 10.5.09 Pipe down and listen.
We hear from St James in his epistle today. He wrote in another part of his epistle that we have great difficulty controlling our tongues. He was right. We shoot our mouths off. We are so quick to judge, to put an opinion.
Our Lord tells us not to judge one another. There are at least two reasons for that: one, we do not have authority to judge, and two, we do not have all the facts needed to judge.
It is bad enough if we judge each other but we also have the audacity to judge God.
CS Lewis wrote an essay titled, ‘God in the dock’. His point was that God is our judge, but in fact we judge Him. We put Him in the dock and we find Him guilty. Guilty of not knowing how to run a universe; of how to deal with good and evil in a fair way.
Now, if I were God, I would do such and such, and sort things out in a day. (So the argument runs). I would wipe out the evildoers, reward the good - and it would all be immediate. Like a political candidate offering free beer and no taxes.
We put Him on trial and we find Him guilty. This is biting the hand that feeds, or the pot saying to the potter: why have you made me thus? In short, we leap in too quickly.
What is required instead is a great deal of humility and patience.
Humility: to admit that there is a great deal we do not and cannot know. We understand that God is dealing with a universe of billions of people and over thousands of years. I come into that for a brief space and time. Like an ant on a football field. I cannot have much to say that is going to improve things.
The only useful thing I could add would be to refer to what God has said; to draw attention to His word.
Patience: is needed to take in the time scale and the breadth of His plan. He has made the stars and all their movements. Consider the complexity and beauty of life. Study any branch of science and see the marvel of His wisdom at work. Consider the things we enjoy, the things that make up our lives. Who invented all these things? We would not have them without God.
So I conclude that God has more idea than I have, and more power as well. He has the ideas and He has the means to put them into effect. I am glad He made me and that I have some small share in all this. I will take my span, my 70 or 80 years, and hope I can be useful.
Humility, Patience, and we could add Trust. Trust Him to work through me and I can just watch things unfold as they should. They will unfold a lot better if everyone pipes down, listens and obeys. How much better the world would run if everyone, or at least many people did this.
Even if others do not, you and I can, and even one instrument in tune will make the orchestra sound better. Better to light one candle than curse the darkness.
So we should be quiet. If we are inclined to make a noise then be loud in His praise.
In the Gospel today Our Lord is telling His apostles not to be premature in their reactions. Don’t be too upset if I leave you; don’t jump to conclusions. The Holy Spirit will make it all plain. But you must give Him time. Don’t be trying to read the last page before you have finished the first chapter.
Be still and know that I am God!
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