Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:23-25)
Reading the headlines this morning made me anxious. It’s the first time I have felt this way since moving from the DC area to California and beginning at St. Mary’s by the Sea. maybe I’ve been too busy to pay attention. Maybe I’ve found a good life-work balance. Maybe I’ve had enough time in nature (and it is glorious and easy to access here) to counteract the toxic headlines. Whatever it has been, even watching today’s sunrise has not driven away the demon of anxiety. I suspect I am not alone.
So I turned to scripture for a word of hope. And found one. “Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds.” When things are going well, when we feel in control of our lives, it is easier to love and do good deeds. It is easier to reach out, to listen to others who may not be in that same emotional or spiritual space. When we feel overwhelmed and anxious, we tend to draw into ourselves. But this is precisely when we need to be provoked, and to provoke others. We are not powerless. We need not wring our hands and watch helplessly as our country and our world seem to change before our eyes.
What is our hope? My hope is in God, creator of all, lover of all, sustainer and redeemer of all. Not that God will magically make everything better, but that God is with us through it all, provoking us to love and good deeds in all circumstances. That is why I gather with others in this institution called church. Because I need people around me who are trying to cling to that same hope. When my grip on hope slips, others reach out to help me find it again.
My prayer today is that I am provoked to love and good deeds, and that I can provoke at least one other to the same. Where love is, God is, and fear is not.
And here are some pictures of nature, as a reminder of just how amazing and creative God is.
