I am taking a look at the passages that I had marked in Fredrick Buechner’s Telling Secrets before I return the book to the library. In the second chapter Buechner writes, “I remember sitting parked by the roadside once, terribly depressed and afraid about our daughter’s illness and what was going on in our family, when out of nowhere a car came along down the highway with a license plate that bore on it the one word out of all the words in the dictionary that I needed most to see exactly then. The word was TRUST. What do you call a moment like that? Something to laugh off as the kind of joke life plays on us every once in a while? The word of God? I am willing to believe that maybe it was something of both, but for me it was an epiphany.” (49)
What do you do with signs? We don’t need to become superstitious, wanting a sign for every decision, yet sometimes God does give us signs to encourage or direct us. Karl Rahner says that transcendent experiences are unthematic, so are easily missed. We are moving through our day and come upon a slim moment of discovery or delight. What do we do when this kind of thing happens?
I suggest making a quick note of them. Like a dream that feels so real, so fresh, we are sure we will not forget it but do, transcendent moments are also easily forgotten. So pencil them down somewhere to return to at another time.
Today’s scripture reading at sacredspace.ie.com is from John 6. A crowd of thousands follow Jesus because “they saw the signs on those who were diseased.” Then Jesus said to Philip, ‘How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?’ This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, ‘Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, ‘There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?’"
Jesus is given the boy’s food and gives thanks. Then he distributes those fish and barley loaves. Finally Jesus tells the disciples to gather anything uneaten, so that nothing may be lost. When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!"
Let’s wake up to the signs of God with us.
What do you do with signs? We don’t need to become superstitious, wanting a sign for every decision, yet sometimes God does give us signs to encourage or direct us. Karl Rahner says that transcendent experiences are unthematic, so are easily missed. We are moving through our day and come upon a slim moment of discovery or delight. What do we do when this kind of thing happens?
I suggest making a quick note of them. Like a dream that feels so real, so fresh, we are sure we will not forget it but do, transcendent moments are also easily forgotten. So pencil them down somewhere to return to at another time.
Today’s scripture reading at sacredspace.ie.com is from John 6. A crowd of thousands follow Jesus because “they saw the signs on those who were diseased.” Then Jesus said to Philip, ‘How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?’ This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, ‘Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, ‘There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?’"
Jesus is given the boy’s food and gives thanks. Then he distributes those fish and barley loaves. Finally Jesus tells the disciples to gather anything uneaten, so that nothing may be lost. When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!"
Let’s wake up to the signs of God with us.
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