Seeing God at work in others

 

Reflection Sunday 25^th July 2021

 

We are all familiar with the story of the loaves and fishes. (John 6: 1 - 21) And in John's version of the story a
boy who came forward with his five barley loaves and two fishes that Jesus used as the basis for his miracle. From a preacher’s point of view, it’s always a challenge to preach on such a familiar story.

Reading the story once again got me thinking about the boy. What prompted him to come forward? John doesn’t tell us. But I think what the boy’s actions do is make us think about how we can see God in the Ordinary things and how we can see God through others.

I don’t often watch the One Show but last week I saw an episode where a young man from Devon was given a Thank You award by the programme for the work he had done in establishing a book bank in his community. The young man had learning difficulties, but he had used his own money and encouraged others to donate to this foodbank. That is a sign of God at work right there. God in ordinary things working through others.

God can be at work through others even though they don’t know it and even if they don’t believe in God.  God can be seen in the lives of ordinary people. All we need to do is open our eyes and tune our hearts to see God at work.

So where can we see God at work?

We can see God at work when Compassion is offered without embarrassment.

When we were on holiday, we were driving back to the caravan one evening through the outskirts of Poole along a busy road running through a residential area. Suddenly traffic started to slow down and on the opposite side of the road was a nice Mercedes car, in the middle of the road, with hazard lights on and the driver’s door open. We wondered if there had been an accident. But then we saw on the opposite side of road on the pavement an elderly lady who had fallen. The Mercedes driver had clearly seen it happen and had stopped to help without thinking of all the tutting drivers behind her.

It was like a modern retelling of the Good Samaritan. The kind of love God would want us to show was there. That is compassion offered without embarrassment. Just as the boy brought his picnic forward unashamedly.

We also see God in the Ordinary when Hope is offered without strings such as when we give someone a good listening too. I may have told this story before but one time when on police chaplaincy duty with a traffic officer, we were called to an incident in Cricklade. This was a few days before Christmas. A large articulated lorry was parked on double yellow lines on a narrow street. To make matters worse the lorry had a refrigerated unit that was making quite a racket outside the home of an elderly woman who had phoned the police. We went into the home, decorated with a meagre Christmas tree and a handful of cards and the woman poured out her story.

The officer came away dismayed that he’d not been able to solve the problem of finding the driver and getting the lorry moved. But I pointed out to him that he had given this lonely lady his time. He’d listened to her. That’s really what she needed. For her things didn’t seem so bad after all.

Sometimes we bring Hope, the Hope of God just by being with someone. Just by walking alongside them and not saying anything.

In his book The Grace Awakening (Word, 1990), Charles Swindoll relates the following story:

During his days as President of America, Thomas Jefferson and a group of companions were traveling across the country on horseback. They came to a river which had burst its banks and washed the bridge away. Each rider was forced to ford the river on horseback, fighting for his life against the rapid currents. The very real possibility of death threatened each rider, which caused a traveller who was not part of their group to step aside and watch.

After several had plunged in and made it to the other side, the stranger asked President Jefferson if he would ferry him across the river. The President agreed without hesitation. The man climbed on, and shortly thereafter the two of them made it safely to the other side.

As the stranger slid off the back of the saddle onto dry ground, one in the group asked him, "Tell me, why did you select the President to carry you across?"

The man was shocked, admitting he had no idea it was the President who had helped him. "All I know," he said, "is that on some of your faces was written the answer 'No,' and on some of them was the answer 'Yes.' His was a 'Yes' face."

What answer is written on your face? What answer do others see in you? We can see God in The Ordinary when Hope Is Offered Without Strings. We can also help others see God in The Ordinary when Hope Is Offered Without Strings in our lives.

Finally, we see God in the Ordinary when Love is offered without limits.

Mother Teresa heard of a family whose nine members were starving to death. She hurriedly obtained some rice and went to the family, giving them enough rice to prepare a meal. But the woman divided the rice into two piles, placed one in a bag and started to leave. Mother Teresa asked where she was going. The woman said she was going to visit another family who she knew was starving also.

That is Love without limits. That is God working right there in the act of selfless generosity by that starving woman. A bit like the boy giving up his picnic for others.

The story is told about a young person, whose heart was torn and wounded by seeing all the suffering in the world. This young person went to God in prayer and complained bitterly to God: "Even I could make a better world than this one."

And God answered, "That's what you are supposed to be doing."

John Wesley is attributed as saying: "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, in all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can." When we do, as God intended, we are making a better world.

When the Love of God and our Love for God lives in our hearts it naturally flows from our actions and others will see God in The Ordinary in us. When we see random acts of Compassion Without Embarrassment, Hope Without Strings and Love Without Limits we are seeing God at work. It reminds us that God IS in the ordinary acts and activities of life.

And people will see the same in us too.