Winter is coming and soon the snow will be upon us. If you are like me you are busy now finishing up all the things that you had most of the summer and early fall to do but just never quite got around to doing. Some of you may still be closing your cabins, putting the boat away for the winter or perhaps storing the last of the lawn ornaments and lawn furniture. Those of you who are winter enthusiasts are no doubt getting your skidoos tuned up and ready for the next season.
In the story that Jesus relates in the gospel of Matthew we heard this morning, we learn being prepared is important. Only five of the ten girls who awaited the arrival of the bridegroom had sufficient oil for their lamps. The others had not been prepared and had to go to the store and buy more oil. Consequently, they missed the arrival of the bridegroom. In this parable of course, Jesus is the bridegroom and it is His return that all Christians are waiting for.
In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul suggests that the wait is well worth it. For when Christ returns again, God’s trumpet will sound then we shall all be gathered to meet God and live with him forever.
In our Old Testament reading we hear the voice of Joshua. He is in the final stages of his life and is speaking to his people trying to prepare them for his death. He reminds them first of about God’s goodness to them. This is the same Lord who gave them Isaac and Jacob and who led them out of bondage in Egypt. Joshua suggests that getting ready for what is to come means remembering what has happened in the past. The Psalmist tells us that we should remember all God has done for us and share this knowledge with the next generation.
Both these passages are very timely. In two days, it will be Remembrance Day, a day set aside for us to remember the contributions many Canadians have made by serving their country in times of need. Especially in World War I and World War II many never returned and lay buried on foreign soil. The knowledge of the past needs to be passed on to our children so they will understand and hopefully not make the same mistakes.
However Joshua tells the people that remembering in itself is not enough. It brings with it a sense of obligation. The people of Israel need to get rid of their false gods and serve only the Lord. We too have an obligation to those who gave their lives for their country. John McRae in his poem In Flanders Fields sums this up well:
Take up our quarrel with the foe To you with failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye shall break faith with us who die, We shall not sleep though poppies blow In Flanders Fields.
Honouring those memories who those who died for our freedom does not mean we forget the horrors of war and we must always pray the words each Sunday of our peace prayer that peace will fill our being, our world and our universe.
For we Christians who live in a time of relative peace, being ready means more than being ready to go off and fight in a war. One might say it means living every day as if it were your last but again this might be open to misinterpretation. It doesn’t mean that we should all live recklessly, party all the time and take no heed of the future. It does mean however that we should not assume that we will have a tomorrow in which to do things. If we have friends or family members we have not forgiven, we should not delay that. If we have love to give our families or our children, we should show that love today not wait for tomorrow. Being a Christian means walking the walk every day. We cannot say that I’m too tired to visit a sick friend today, or I’m too busy with work, or maybe tomorrow I will tell my son or daughter how much I love them. Living with regrets means that there are things a person really meant to do, but somehow got snared in the trap of life and never got these things done. It just takes a moment to pick up the telephone and call a friend who is having troubles and just say, “How are you? “ Or take half an hour and visit a shut in or someone you know who is in the hospital. Similarly living without forgiving others means that we carry an excess burden that wears us down and causes stress. Letting go improves our health and helps us to live at peace not only with the person who has wronged us but also with ourselves.
But we need also to be ready in a spiritual sense. Sometimes we are asked to step out in faith and try something new. New things always involve risk and most times we prefer the comfortable zone we may be in rather than stepping out in faith. I know that while I say these words I don’t always find them easy ones to follow. I know many people who doubt that God even exists and one particular friend likes to expound his theories at length. It is interesting that people like him still need a god – something they can put their faith in. He puts all his faith in science. Science has the answer to everything. What they don’t know they can build a computer simulation to give them the answer and if the mathematical theories are right, there is no margin of error. I feel sorry for this person who must have a pretty dismal outlook on the future if it all depends on technology. But I find it hard to defend my faith in the weight of this scientific mind and all too often I lack away regretting afterwards that I don’t have the words to argue with. I sometimes feel that saying nothing is easier than defending faith to someone who will not listen so sink back into my comfort zone rather than step out in faith.
I know you have heard me say this before, but I truly believe we fear risk because we do not want to let go and let God. We want to believe he will catch us if we fall, or help us find the words if we don’t have them in their minds but a lot of us don’t have the kind of trust that will let go. I am currently reading The Shack a novel by William Younger. Mac, the main character’s six-year-old daughter has been murdered by a serial killer and her body is never recovered. However the police found his daughter’s blood stained dress in a shack and evidence seems to suggest this is where she was brutally slain. Mac reacts very emotionally and is very angry with God. How could a God of love allow a little girl to be senselessly murdered? Then he receives a note that is signed Papa (his wife’s name for God) asking Mac to come to the shack and talk to Him. Mac of course hesitates; he thinks the note might be a cruel joke. Perhaps it is from the killer himself who plans to murder Mac as well. But something compels him to take a big risk and step out in faith and the result transforms his entire life. He is able to embrace God in away he never dreamed of, forgive all past wrongs against him and begin the healing process of losing his child.
It is no simple task to walk the road that the Christian faith demands. We are asked to make each day count as if it will be our last. We are to help others, forgive our enemies and show love to every one especially those who are hard to love. We are always to remember the good things God has given us and show Him that we appreciate it. We are to step out in faith and take risks knowing that God will catch us if we fall.
This list might seem overwhelming and cause one to say that this is impossible and say they cannot do it. But we also must keep in mind that God is there every step along the road. He has blessed us with an abundance of good things. His love is steadfast and unflinching. He will forgive us when we transgress from His ways. He has promised us eternal life in his loving arms in a heaven where streets are paved with gold. Perhaps after all being ready is a small price to pay.
