Oh, by the way I have found certainty but I NEVER aspired to it. Or rather, certainty has found me. I am certain God loves me. In fact, he loves us all. We just need to accept him to truly discover it. I sat down last night and I was confronted by a brief vision of a small text reference: Ephesians 2. 'Why Ephesians 2?' I thought to myself - then I remembered that I have been praying a lot recently for a vision or a sign from God to allow me to uncover my true purpose in life. Some kind of clue to my calling. I was not familiar with the book of Ephesians, in fact I had never read it before, although I dare say I will have heard it quoted, but I couldn't possibly tell you where or when. So I read it of course. Here's what it says:
Made Alive in Christ
1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful naturea and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
One in Christ
11Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)— 12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Imagine what it must be like to be living in dire poverty in somewhere like India, in Calcutta say, surrounded by the constant reality of disease and hunger and death. The only thing certain in that situation is that you will die, most likely as a result of a condition which would seem intolerably bad in Britain. Imagine being homeless, having no food, no clean clothing, no bed, no money, no fresh water, no phone, no shoes, no rights, no future, no education, no prospects, no material possessions, no hope. In our comfort and ignorance, we forget how close we are to that reality, not just in economic terms, but also spiritually and compassionately as brothers to all. I'm not just referring to Christians either. We are all bound to each other, inextricably, through the passage of life and death. We are One in God's eyes. We therefore have a moral and spiritual obligation to accept foreign strangers as our own family members, to embrace them, serve them and love them in their entirety and give ourselves to them. Mother Teresa knew this. She dedicated her entire life to alleviating the suffering of those less fortunate than her and never took anything in return, unless it could be used for further benefit to others. And many dying people were able to pass over in peace and comfort in spite of having suffered their entire lives from the corruption and destruction and sin of monetary greed. Of course, fully sanctified as she was, Mother Teresa denounced all material interest in this world and made a living sacrifice of herself for the good of her neighbours. Exactly as Christ instructs us to. So why the heck are we not listening? Why are we not following suit? Why do we insist on living our lives as hamsters, stuck in a never-ending cycle of earn to spend? Is it the uncertainty of letting go and taking up a lifetime's commitment to spiritual service? It's worse than that. It's not even doubt; if it were a simple question of doubt, we would all be convinced by now. It is the unshakeable uncertainty of Fear. And if we continue our joint refusal to accept what we are called to do, then we really do have something to be scared of.
When you accept Jesus, nothing will remain certain. Except the one TRUE certainty, which is that you will have finally realised your reason for living. I put it off for many years and I thank God that I was found. Now I can set about making a difference. Are you certain you won't join me?
