Making Space.

One possible implication of the universality of God’s concern is that we can’t act as if anyone or anything is outside of God’s interests. We have to look at one another, at our enemies, at the strangers at the gate, and even at creation around us, and see God’s created and beloved world. So, rather than determining that God hates all the same people we do, we have to trust that Jesus’ death and resurrection might just possibly have been for “them” too.

And while I might be able to get my head around the idea that God’s love is for all of God’s children and not just the ones we like; I have a much harder time really believing that God’s love is seeking redemption for the powers and systems of this world that hurt, enslave, and oppress people. I really have to wrestle with this in the light of recent events in Nice where many innocent people have been killed or injured. We see the regimes in places all over the world treating people as something to be used abused and destroyed. Yet, God loves all, yes all of creation.

That reminded me of something we miss from our time in Townsville. Have you ever been down to the beach to watch the sun set? That was something that was lovely to do when we were in Townsville as it was so close. The beach and the promenade were often busy when we went down. Sometimes there were even some people still in the water, taking the opportunity to cool down after a scorching day. There were often people with cameras, some set up on tripods to capture this marvellous sight that we see played out time and time again, through all the seasons.

What strikes me most when I reflect on those evenings was the way a kind of hush descended on the promenade, a stillness. People often stopped. And, at that point when the sun makes its final drop behind the hills, there was a kind of collective sigh . . . before people moved on again. Being the person that I am, I wondered just how many of these people, were stopped in their tracks by God’s handiwork, had a sense of the divine presence. Whatever the motivation or the meaning we import to them, it is good to have moments that stop us in our tracks.

Moments that divert us from our daily round, give us breathing space and pause for thought. In the gospel for today, Jesus acknowledges the hard work that it is to welcome others, be they strangers or friends. He acknowledges the vitality of that work and invites us to find some balance in our service so that we don’t come to resent the task of making space. Jesus invites us, in our making space for others, to find also space for ourselves. Space in which to encounter the divine. 

Building up and creating space in this community of faith where all will feel welcome and valued is hard work. Jesus invites us to find a way of doing that while still having time to sit at his feet.