And Jesus said to Thomas, “Have you believed because you have sent me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may trust that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that trusting, you may have life in his name. John 20:29-31
It’s the day after Easter. The Resurrection has happened. The disciples hide behind locked doors in fear. They have heard that Jesus is alive, but they’re not sure, and if he is, then what? What to do? As I do my daily devotionals I am surrounded by books from many sources, including one from a Vietnamese Buddhist monk. When I read the following section from his book, I can see that such words would have been helpful to the disciples as they faced the unknown future. Maybe they will help you.
“A student once asked me what I thought it meant to ‘surrender to God’s will.’ For me, God’s will is that each of us should be our best. We should be alive, and we should enjoy the wonders of life and do our best to help others do the same.” “If we have the good intention to cultivate happiness, to transform our suffering, and to help those around us transform theirs; if we have the intention to be fully present, to live deeply the life that has been given to us, and to help others do the same, that is surrendering to the will of God. It is not a passive kind of surrender. The will to live peacefully, happily, and with compassion is full of vitality.” (The Art of Living. Thich Nhat Hanh, p.107, Penguin Random House, UK, 2017)
Even as we wait to see how the pandemic follows whatever course it will take in our community and in our world, we can use the vitality each of us has been given to surrender to God’s will, to be alive, and to help others do the same.
Rev. Dr. David Kaiser-Cross
Executive Minister
Today, we give thanks for those among us who know and understand something about technology that helps us all stay connected; and we pray for those who feel disconnected.
Nudge us, Lord, to pick up the phone today and call someone who may need a word of encouragement. Amen.