Scripture: Mark 6:53-56
When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
Reflection Questions:
When was the last time you yearned to catch a glimpse of God? Think about that situation. How did it feel in your body to seek God? Was this desire satisfied? Where do you long for God today? How will you search?
Five-minute Story:
I used to own a blue Saturn. It was a great little car that was both economical and fun to drive. I put many miles on it. It came with us when we moved from New Jersey to Minnesota
Years before my blue car, I learned how to juggle. This skill - actual and metaphorical- served me well as a pastor. There always seems more to do than time will allow. Multitasking becomes the name of the game. Juggling is required.
On a Sunday, back in New Jersey, I found it necessary to demonstrate this skill set. There was just over an hour between worship services, and one of our folks was in the hospital. The medical center was twenty minutes away. Quickly my brain crunched the numbers: it took twenty minutes to get there; I would have twenty minutes for a visit; the return trip would round out the hour. If I was quick, I could make it. First, time to put on my “super pastor” cape. Watch out Spiderman, here I come. As soon as I greeted worshipers at the door after the first worship, I hopped into my Saturn and dashed away. So far, so good, things were going according to my plan.
The road to the hospital curved through a wooded area down a steep hill. Adding to the adventure was an earlier rainfall that made the roads slick. I must have fallen asleep in super pastor class when they taught defensive driving and high-speed pursuit. As I rounded a steep curve, my Saturn skidded out. CRASH. I hopped the curb and hit an unmovable guardrail. CRACK. It didn’t sound good at all.
The front right tire snapped off the axle. This "super" pastor was grounded and needed a lift back to the church. While I was still in the process of evaluating the situation, one of my parishioners pulled up to the scene. It was his father that I was en route to visit. Although I was glad that I was not hurt, my pride was damaged. The son was gracious and took care of his pastor. I remain grateful for Tommy’s help.
My front axle was not the only thing broken; cracked also was my delusion of being in control. I learned that day that I am not. Further, I don’t possess superhuman abilities that I can harness at a moment's notice in the fight to rid the world of all evil. My plans and schemes are flawed and imperfect. No matter how hard I try, I can’t do all that appears on my lengthy 'to-do' list. My super pastor cape is just a piece of fabric.
The life and the vocational lesson that I'm still in the process of learning is that this is ok. Imperfection, mistakes, and accidents all have the potential of being opportunities in our spiritual travel with God. They become blessings when they remind us of our created reality. We are not superhuman nor are we gods. We are the creation of a loving God. We get ourselves in trouble when we live in the distorted place of thinking we can escape the gravitational pull of our created selves. We can’t. Eventually, Saturn will spin out of control.