Good morning…
Waking in Jerusalem beneath the bright fullness of the moon, I think of the first line of a poem texted yesterday by a friend. “Why do people keep asking to see God’s identity papers when the darkness opening into the morning is more than enough?” I ponder the thought. This darkness opening into this morning in this multifaceted city is a silent symphony orchestrated brilliantly by the Creator of life.
Now I think back on our meaningful travel day, leaving the Sea of Galilee to arrive in this incredible city. One of our stops was in the Elah Valley. Nestled in the heart of the Judean Foothills, we read 1 Samuel 17 aloud, a familiar story recounting the famous battle in which the God of shepherd boy David proved stronger than the god of the imposing giant Goliath. This surprising David over Goliath defeat made no human sense. It displayed a higher power at work among us …so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that this entire assembly may know that the Lord does not save with the sword or with the spear; for the battle is the Lord’s… (v. 46-47). In an impossible-seeming way God used a faithful boy, revealing impressive identity papers.
In the quiet of the lush valley, we were each encouraged to find a stone to help us remember the dependable strength of the Almighty God who fights with us our impossible-seeming battles. After I found a small white heart stone, another large oddly shaped stone caught my eye. I looked to me like the sturdy hand of the loving God who always surrounds us. As we returned back to the bus, in the window I rested my heart stone in the firm nest of God’s hand and added a few fragrant stems of lovely lavender.
A tiny altar to the most high God, who, through life’s twists and turns, surprisingly defeats the multifaceted giants in our lives.
As our bus drove up to the hills of Jerusalem, I watched on my phone a music video sent by a friend back home. What a perfect song track for a powerful day. Might these words and images bring to life the identity papers of the God who continues to rise in strength among us?
Our constant question becomes: Will I trust this higher power?
…Sue…
