Believe in Me
Today’s Readings - AM Psalm 93, 98 Jonah 2:1-9; Acts 2:14,22-32 or 1 Cor. 15:1-11; John 14:1-14
Today’s gospel reading follows the last supper narrative and precedes the last several hours of Jesus’ life. The scene from the last supper was a typical dialogue between Jesus and his disciples. As usual, they are confused and unsure about what is happening. Jesus their master, their rabbi, does something unthinkable - he washes their feet. Now he’s telling them he’s going away to prepare a place for them, and they have no idea where he’s going. Oh, for the advantage of hindsight! It seems so clear to us but of course we know the story, we understand his cryptic explanations and we know where this is all heading.
When our youngest first began playing t-ball, there was a child on his team, who after making her first hit, had no idea where to go or what to do. It was clear to everyone in the stands. Run! Run! The crowd screamed. She looked around, and in a pitiful bewildered voice said, “Where? Where do I run?” Feeling the pressure of needing to do something but having no idea what to do, she sat down and buried her head in her hands and sobbed.
There have been many times when I’ve felt this child’s confusion, this same despair. Much the same as the disciples must have felt. Jesus knows his time is quickly slipping by. He didn’t have time to explain where or how, the disciples needed to have faith and trust that he wasn’t leaving them lost.
In 2008, there was a popular song by Lady Antebellum, "I Run to You." It was hard to hear the lyrics and not think of how God is always there for us to run to. “I run from hate, . . . from prejudice . . . . from pessimists, but I run too late.” I can relate so easily to these lyrics, to the disciples. Where do I go to find you? Why am I always so slow to turn to God? Why do I run rather than turn and confront the prejudice? Confront the unfair biases and discrimination?
Lately it seems easier to navigate through a 5:00 traffic jam than find our way through the prejudice and biases that influence our culture. Which way do we turn? Who do we believe? It turns out we can be lost in more ways than one. We know the way is there, we know the story, but we so easily forget and lose our way.
We tend to create prisons of self-doubt, despair and fear, blurring our vision, snatching away our confidence. Jesus says, “I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do.” The barriers we unknowingly construct from our fears, our doubts can prevent us from making good decisions, from doing the work that Jesus does. We’re lost without even knowing it.
“Believe in me.” It may sound too simple, too easy, but what if it isn’t? if we believe in the resurrected Christ, if we believe he is the way, the truth, the life, then why not step out in faith, trusting Christ has our back? That he will help us break down the barriers that prevent us from finding our way? What do we have to lose?
Faithfully,
Sally+
Questions for Reflection - Do you find yourself anxious? Unsure of what to do to confront those influences that trouble you? During the Great Fifty Days of Easter why not take up a new discipline of contemplative prayer? Turn your frustrations over to God. What do you have to lose?