(Psalm 139; Matthew 28: 16-20)
In the psalm we learn of how God is everywhere, eternal and everpresent, there is no place we can go that we can escape. One interpretation of this truth is God as bogeyman – being everywhere, lurking nearby, watching everything. Kind of like Santa Claus who was tallying good and bad behaviours, my parents used this aspect of God to keep us kids in line. That even if they couldn’t catch us in a misdeed, God sees and would know. ...
The psalmist writes that even before our birth, God sees us. God is everywhere, can go everywhere. Technically, I should say that God is already anywhere that we might go: whether we are able to find and see the holy presence is a matter of choice, willingness and focus.
By contrast, we can only be in one place at one time, we can only be aware of so much. That is the folly of our being. Trying to find a meeting time that works for everyone on a church committee, is but one example. In the management of our time and resources, we have to make decisions and choices about where we spend our time and with whom. I should also express gratitude and encouragement for those who gather on Sundays for the spiritual nurture found in communal worship with family, friends and neighbours.
We can never be entirely certain what exactly Jesus had in mind when he gives the great commission, his last set of instructions to the disciples. It’s pretty clear that the word must spread, that the world needs to hear the story of Christ, and that we go to do so with the eternal accompaniment of Christ.
This good news cannot be restricted to one specific set of people to a specific time in a specific place. The story of love and discipleship, of resurrection and hope is a universal one that needs to find its existence and expression in all places. Just like the presence of God: in all places for all people.
The disciples had to resolve this difference for themselves, having an eternal, unlimited mission with limited resources. Just like our church. So we do our best to continue in the history and tradition of Christ, to carry that spirit wherever we go. Not to make everyone exactly like us, but to help others find their own expression of faith and witness. ...
When God looks at us, our entire being is revealed, nothing is hidden. The interaction the other way is not equal. We are at a decided disadvantage: we look to God and we only get a small glimpse of what we can experience of the infinite divine. We cannot grasp the full measure of God’s intent, purpose or perspective. We look to God and try to take in what is described as more than all the grains of sand.
... We do not have the benefit of being everywhere all the time for everyone. We have the assurance of God who experiences and understands what we go through, the abiding sense that we are not alone. Personally, it has become a comfort now, that thought of God being with us – ever present always watching. No matter where we go, or what happens, God is there.
|