Day #1555

April 4, 2018

So we began our sharing/learning time considering a question posed by President Robin Steinke of Luther Seminary: what is a full life? 

After some thought, in my opinion a full life comes down to having others to love and care for, and being loved and cared for by others. That seemed simple enough, until we were asked to consider how this passage from Luke, chapter 18, verses 1-8, connects with the question of what is a full life. Here is the passage from the New Revised Standard Version: 

1Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, 'Grant me justice against my opponent.' 4For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, 'Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.'" 6And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

This made finding a connection between God and a full life a bit more challenging, but after much discussion, this came to mind - in caring for others and being cared for I will fail (and have failed often). I will let others down, and others will also let me down. Similar to the unjust judge who does what is right simply to avoid being worn out by the woman, I may do/be similar - looking to my own interests instead of being faithful to God. Yet, thankfully, God never lets us down. Perhaps that’s the essence of grace, and the essence of why God’s story needs/deserves to be shared with others in order for the building up of the Kingdom.

Some deep thinking for a time of "relaxation." But life is good!

Blessings.