Grant us, O Lord our Strength, a true love of your holy Name; so that, trusting in your grace, we may fear no earthly evil, nor fix our hearts on earthly goods, but may rejoice in your full salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Right after forgiveness, probably the hardest thing is to trust. A recent TV ad shows a man “learning” to trust by falling backward into the arms of a much smaller gecko. Presumably if the man continues his downward arc, he’ll have a painful fall and the gecko will be crushed. Neither man nor lizard is likely to trust again.
Too often we fear that trusting will expose us either to a painful fall or to being crushed. And trusting in someone who owes us nothing or in a generous gift we know we do not deserve, let alone being able to earn, makes us feel just that exposed and vulnerable. Only when we have faith that God is not only strong but also loving, not only just but also compassionate, can we begin to trust.
Faith doesn’t do away with the need to trust. It simply helps us to understand that the promise of a lifegiving and lively relationship with our God is enticement enough to overcome our fears and allow us to fall into his loving embrace.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment