03-26-25

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
March 26, 2025
When unexpected change happens in our daily lives, even the change that is personal and kept pretty close to the vest, the most common response is to hunker down, build a wall of protection, and push back against any other change. Sometimes the push back against other change becomes almost zealous in its outrage, in part, because it makes us feel in control of that one area when another area of life is out of control. One of the unfortunate consequences is that some individuals become the target of the outrage that stems from unresolved feelings of powerlessness—not knowing what to do when certain constants are no longer constant; certain known patterns are broken; a certain voice is no longer there. Not only is it common, but it makes sense in regard to how grief and uncertainty shake us at the core of who we are. Of course, simply making sense of it when observed objectively doesn’t make it healthy or right, especially for the ones who might have felt the brunt of redirected frustration or sadness. This is when it is important to know oneself, have friendships with those who will be brutally honest with us, and recognize how counseling can be of great value in keeping our hurt from hurting others. Though not necessarily talking about this exact thing, I think about James 1:5, where we read: “But anyone who needs wisdom should ask God, whose very nature is to give to everyone without a second thought, without keeping score. Wisdom will certainly be given to those who ask.” I think that is true, though the asking needs to come with a genuine openness to hearing what we might not want to hear, while also recognizing how God might gift us with wisdom by means of a friend, a Bible study, or a counselor. Those who refuse to do the needed hard work on themselves are often people who scapegoat others in their pursuit of controlling what will forever remain out of their control.

Good and gracious God, provide me a reason to pause and breathe. Give me the courage to look inward, even when it hurts to do so, for I do not wish to act from a place of grief. And where I have injured others without realizing it, I pray the gift of mercy to awaken me and set me on a path for healing of self and the ones who have been injured. This is my prayer, offered with openness to your guidance. Amen.