January 8, 2009 Epiphany

I have a friend who lives on the edge economically. Not too long ago he found himself tipping over that precipice from the weight of unexpected expenses. He told me that he lined all his bills out on the table, turned his pant pockets inside out, and prayed to God.
The next day he received a check in the mail for $800 from Sociable Insecurity (as he is fond of calling it). This was almost exactly the amount he needed to cover his debts.

We grow up with these kinds of stories. They are wonderful….and dangerous. Their wonder lies in the affirmation of faith. “See, there really is a God! He really does care. Look what he did!” Their danger lies in making God small, reduced by the limits of our imagination. What if my friend had not received the money? What if the next day in the mail he received another bill? Would that mean that God doesn’t care? It is dangerous to predicate faith on this kind of ‘testing’.

This morning I am struck with how both wonder and danger are attributes of God that the Old Testament writers did not shy away from. To see God is to be destroyed! The presence of God is a like a consuming fire. His presence is also characterized by love. I am in awe.