Former National Geographic photographer, Dewitt Jones, says that his assignments for the magazine always entailed seeing what's right with the world. On assignments to areas where there was suffering he always looked for what was right even in terrible suffering. That perspective helped him to take award-winning photographs showing beauty in many situations. This is not just a shallow attempt to ignore pain, although it certainly can be limited to pretending that all is well when it is not. What I hear in his message is the importance of perspective. Sometimes it is easy to see blessing, sometimes we have to believe that God's blessing is present and dig deeper to find it.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus insists that the most unlikely ones are the ones who are blessed. He tells us that the poor, the humble, and those who mourn are blessed. He even tells us to rejoice when we are persecuted! The word that is translated “blessed” (or sometimes “happy”) might better be translated “privileged by divine favor.” Consider that aspect of blessing; when you suffer, you are privileged because God will be with you in that suffering.
As we move toward the dark specter of holy week, when we remember Jesus' suffering and death, it is good to consider how his willingness to accept his fate brought redemption to the horror of the cross. God is present in the world in the work of the crucifixion. In the extreme ugliness of human behavior God brings the good news that death is not the ultimate
victor.
Because of Easter, we can be unashamed hope-mongers. There is no evil so great that God cannot defeat. And when we embrace this truth and make it our own, we can be our best for the world. The good news of Easter is not just about your individual trip to heaven. It is about the hope that there is always something right with the world, regardless of appearances to the contrary. When we are our best for the world, we have something extremely positive to share, the gospel. We have the joy of sharing the good news with others. But there is no good news to share if you don't see what's right in your life and in the world around you. There is no point in walking somewhere to preach if your walking isn't preaching!
So live the good news that death has no sting and the grave is not the victor!
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus insists that the most unlikely ones are the ones who are blessed. He tells us that the poor, the humble, and those who mourn are blessed. He even tells us to rejoice when we are persecuted! The word that is translated “blessed” (or sometimes “happy”) might better be translated “privileged by divine favor.” Consider that aspect of blessing; when you suffer, you are privileged because God will be with you in that suffering.
As we move toward the dark specter of holy week, when we remember Jesus' suffering and death, it is good to consider how his willingness to accept his fate brought redemption to the horror of the cross. God is present in the world in the work of the crucifixion. In the extreme ugliness of human behavior God brings the good news that death is not the ultimate
victor.
Because of Easter, we can be unashamed hope-mongers. There is no evil so great that God cannot defeat. And when we embrace this truth and make it our own, we can be our best for the world. The good news of Easter is not just about your individual trip to heaven. It is about the hope that there is always something right with the world, regardless of appearances to the contrary. When we are our best for the world, we have something extremely positive to share, the gospel. We have the joy of sharing the good news with others. But there is no good news to share if you don't see what's right in your life and in the world around you. There is no point in walking somewhere to preach if your walking isn't preaching!
So live the good news that death has no sting and the grave is not the victor!
