TRUST AND RECEIVE

Job 38:1,8-11; psalm 107 give thanks to the lord, his love is everlasting ; 2 Corinthians 5:14-17; mark 4:35-41

Just a few thoughts about our readings as I continue my journey through Italy from Rome to Milan.

First all we arrive at the book of job chapter 38. Prior to this chapter job and his friends have been acquiring whether or not God knows what he is doing. Chapter 38 is a turning point in the narrative.  God who has been silent, who has allowed man to speculate and argue and discuss matters concerning his style of governance, finally speaks.

Once the opinions of man have been expressed God now speaks for himself. Job finally gets his wish.  He finally gets to have his day in court. He finally gets God to speak about why all this stuff has be fallen him.

Job never gets the answers he is looking for. God never tells him the why behind the what of all that has happened.  Rather, God reveals to Job and all of humanity that we are not fully suitable to weigh the evidence.  We cannot judge what has happened.  All we can do is just keep living and loving and let God connect the dots as life rolls on.

How many times have we put  God on trial?  How many times have we found God guilty? Yet, we judge what we cannot fully comprehend, as God speaks it clearly enough, " who is this who darkens counsel with words of ignorance?"

Our job his not to make sense out of everything.  Rather, our duty is to trust and receive as life unfolds.  We cannot judge the story of our life until the end as been reached.  God continues to lead us forth.

Just because we think God isn't paying attention doesn't mean he isn't paying attention.  We see that in the gospel, even while asleep Jesus is aware and concerned.  Just like the apostles we too mistake Jesus' sleeping as a lack of concern and nothing can be further from the truth, " quiet, be still!"

In this wave tossed life, whether Jesus is awake or asleep from our perspective, we need not ever be terrified but rather like the apostles as the gospel tell us, "leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was."

There is our invitation to faith, "to take Jesus as he is."  That is to say, to take life as it unfolds, to trust and to receive knowing we will never fully comprehend but with Jesus we never truly go alone.