Faith and Endurance

Lamentations 3:1–3; 21–24: I am one who has seen affliction under the rod of God’s wrath; he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light; against me alone he turns his hand, again and again, all day long. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

When we turned on the news this week, it seemed difficult to find the signs of God’s presence. The news from France, Japan and other places it seems that terror and fear are widespread. We are the ones who witness through the news and social media outlets afflictions and wrath. How do we call to mind hope and the faithfulness of God?

We remember that hope comes to us from the outside, from the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit comes to us and reminds us of God’s work on the cross and in the resurrection. We remember that the tomb was empty, that God endured through death, rejection, and affliction and the outcome was life. We also endure by loving and refusing to give into fear, despair, or hate. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” We endure by continuing to love each other and our neighbors. We endure by prayer and action.

St. Paul writes in Romans, “Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor…Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

We are called to extend the blessings we have received as a witness to the love and faithfulness of God through Jesus Christ. We see in the life and actions of Jesus the power of love to heal broken hearts and lives. This same Jesus who on the cross cried out for his Father to forgive those who had crucified him. We see the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of Paul. Once a persecuter of the church turned into one who submitted his life to God and the work that Jesus had called him to. We are called to both faith and endurance. The strength for this endurance in life comes from God, whose mercies are new every morning and whose love and grace are steadfast and sturdy.

We endure by shining lights into darkness, by being a presence of grace and of love in the lives of others. We endure by overcoming the evil we see with good actions, by showing genuine love for those who are our enemies. We endure by taking the bold stance of trusting in the work of God that raised Jesus from the dead and that God’s work is not done in the world.

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