Weekly Meditation
"Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them." (Matthew 11:4-5)
At least eight people were killed and many, many more were injured when a surge of humanity rushed the stage at an outdoor concert last weekend. Stores are warning Americans that many items on our Christmas wish lists may not be available, or if they are, you may not receive them by Christmas. At the global summit in Scotland, we were reminded that climate change is already beyond the point of no return and all we can do now is mitigate its effects and adapt to the changes. At least 10 people who participated in the January 6 insurrection were elected to some office in last week's elections. And Covid is still a thing. I know many people don't believe that, but it is.
I could use a little good news, please.
John the Baptist was in prison. The scribes and Pharisees were plotting to get rid of Jesus. The Romans still oppressed the people of Judah. John and his followers wanted some good news, too. They wanted to know if Jesus is the one, "the one who is to come," the Messiah. Or must they keep waiting for another.
It goes to show that we could all use a little good news from time to time.
What I find interesting in Jesus' response was that he basically said, "Open your eyes!" Look closer. "Tell John what you HEAR and SEE." In other words, the good news you are looking for is right in front of your eyes, you're just overlooking it. You are so focused on the bad news; you miss what is happening right before you. The blind see, the lame walk, the dead are raised - hard to believe they missed that one!
Maybe it's the same with us. Maybe the good news we so desire IS all around us, but we are overlooking it. At that concert tragedy, stories have emerged of people risking their own lives to help others who had fallen. And there are people working to mitigate climate change. And people are getting vaccinated while others are recovering from Covid. And here in the church we are sharing the good news of God's love and forgiveness every day. And sometimes we even make a difference.
Keep telling the world what you see and hear! The good news is out there.