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A WORD FROM THE PASTOR
Join God In What He is Doing
On Feb 2, 2006, the speaker at the annual National Prayer Breakfast was Bono, lead singer of the group U2. Here is something Bono had to say: "A number of years ago I met a wise man who changed my life. In countless ways, large and small, I was always seeking the Lord's blessing.
And this wise man said: 'Stop asking God to bless what you're doing. Get involved in what God is doing because it's already blessed." What a radical idea to get involved with God in what he is doing. We spend so much time asking God to bless what we are doing. Rather, we need to ask God to show us what he is doing, and join in.
After creation of the world and all in it, "God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good" (Gen 1:31). Slowly man failed to see the good in God's creation. Continuing to disobey God by breaking his commandments, man filled God's creation and people with darkness.
It all happened because man's self-interest preceded God and his values for life. We have created more unholy moments and then asked God to bless us. Instead, all that modern man has to do is to join in what God is doing.
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they talked about so many things and finally on the subject of God. The barber said: "I don't believe that God exists." "Why do you say that?" asked the customer.
"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a dirty, unkempt man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He returned and said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist."
"How can you say that?" the barber asked. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!" "No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside." "Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me."
"Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to him looking for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world." (This is an example of darkness prevailing in the society). Let us join God in what he is doing to alleviate the darkness!
In the Service of the Lord,
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