I have seen the Promised Land
1st MAY 2017
Today, the sun speared down through clouds, spotlighting the most beautiful landscape, a golden land that lies between the Malvern
Hills and the Welsh mountains.
It is a special land, redolent of a promised land in my mind, sometimes.
I have been thinking about Moses and one of the contributions made by a fellow-blogger. What a profound thought was shared, how humble was Moses, the man who led his people to the verge of that land of safety and hope. Yet, he was not going to stand on an inch of that land. The question was asked, what had he once done that prevented God from letting him lead his people into the promised land? Moses, who had the strength to argue with God to change his heart on his people's behalf, could not change God's heart on his own behalf?
I am not sure that it was a punishment by God. I have always considered this to have been
about the different kinds of leadership that is needed for peoples, countries and, even,
churches. There comes a point when a leader has gone as far as they can go. And God then prepares the ground for another leader.
Martin Luther King, the great civil rights campaigner, was no saint. But he was a prophet.
He was the one man above all who helped to articulate the hope of the downtrodden and oppressed black population of the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. He also led the movement to the verge of greater racial equality in the United States.
But he died before he saw the end of enmity and a promised land of equality (some might
say that promised land is still far off, even further off, now in the days of Trump). His last speech, before his assassination, echoed the story of Moses. This is how his speech
concluded:
Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live - a long life; longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to
do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a
people, will get to the Promised Land. So I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm
not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.
There is something majestic and rock-like about this failure. Because to Martin Luther King,
and to Moses before him, I don't think the Promised Land was The Thing.
I think for both of them The Thing was simply obedience to their vocation. How we would
all love to live each day with that incredible and inspiring confidence: 'I am not worried
about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.'
I wonder whether it is because God is loving that we don't get to see the Promised Land ourselves. If we did, maybe we would become puffed up with pride and self congratulations, whereas, as we are quickly learning, humility is what God requires of us. It has been said (but I can't remember where or by who) that we are not called to be successful but faithful. It reminds me that Jesus taught us in the parable of the sower that we are to keep on sowing, whether the seeds fall on fertile ground or not. It is God who produces the harvest, not us. Vocation isn't about achievements or proving ourselves but faithful humble service in our distinctive lives. Not glamorous, but neither was the way of the cross.
ReplyDeleteReturning to the original theme of our vocation to be image bearers of God, a Year 4 pupil asked a telling question at this afternoon's school visit to church. Having announced she wanted to become a Christian, she then asked "but can I still do things I enjoy, like seeing friends?" What distorted image has she seen of the Christian life? Clearly not one of Christ's abundant joy or delight in the gift of life and in one another. Maybe we need to reconsider what is the image we have of God, for instance a joyless ruler or life giving lover? Does our image of God affect how we understand our vocation? I pray that these school visits may play a part in changing that misperception. However, It was very encouraging to hear the teacher express her great appreciation of the visit and also how she loved the building and felt it was comforting. The sacred space bears God's image of warm and tender love. Do we?
It is a mark of true greatness to be satisfied with carrying on without seeing results of ones labour. I cannot think of any occupation that does not measure outcomes. In a target driven world, I think Joshua might have been credited with the success of leading the people successfully into the Promised Land rather than Moses. I wonder what Moses and Joshua would have thought of targets ? What does God think of targets? Does the church have targets? I think it does. Are they relevant to God?
ReplyDeleteAs for the child's question( FEE's contribution above) about whether they would be able to see their friends, I can think of at least two parishioners who are always bubbling over with joy. I wish the child had met them. Is the child's desire to become Christian not a reflection of the goodness and love that comes across when meeting the parishioners who welcome the children?
While writing the above sentence, I was reminded of what I learnt in school about freedom and licence. I couldn't remember the exact words so I have copied this extract from http://www.catholiceducation.org/en/religion-and-philosophy/philosophy/freedom-license.html
" 'Freedom refers to self-determination.... To the extent that we can determine for ourselves who we shall be, we are responsible for our lives.' Germain Grisez and Russell Shaw Beyond the New Morality, Ch. 1
License
License is the throwing off of all responsibility. It is a carte blanche to do as we feel. As such, it is incompatible with virtue and destroys community."
Christianity gives us freedom, not licence.