Meaningless, Meaningless

I was on Facebook a few moments ago and one of the young women at our church made the following statement:

"You can't describe (ascribe - JBT) great cosmic significance to a simple earthly event. Coincidence, that's all anything ever is, nothing more than coincidence. There is no such thing as fate. Nothing is meant to be."

This may have been a quote from someone or her own thoughts, I'm not sure, but this I do know, life is more, much more than coincidence. The fact that we exist at all is a choice made by the only true God and the choice was made so that we might seek Him - Acts 17:27. God is love and love, by its very definition, must express itself. God chose to express Himself in us. We were made in His image - Genesis 1:26 - and are recreated in Christ Jesus in order that we might conform to His image - Romans 8:29. We reflect God to a world lost in its own desperation. We are testimony that says God cares and is active in the lives of everyone. Listen to the following from Matthew 5:

"⁴³ You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' ⁴⁴ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

This love of the Father that was and is expressed in the creation of the universe - has there been a greater cosmic anything that exceeds creation? - is demonstrated over and over in the rains that fall on the just and unjust, righteous and unrighteous. God is saying He loves everyone and there is nothing we can do or have done that will shut off that love. And for those of us who trust Him, we too must and will love those who are against us, those who abuse us and excuse themselves. We do this because we learn it from our Father and His Son. And we learn that our doing this is no coincidence, but is all planned out - remember Romans 8:29 - and ultimately expressed in Calvary's Cross, where the greatest words ever spoken were offered; "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they're doing." This, all this and so much more is intentional.

Coincidence is rare. What we see about us is the plan and predictions of God being fulfilled in strange and wonderful ways, as well as terrible and dramatic happenings. I know it's going to rain today and when it rains it will be from God. It will fall on all types of people and it will be intentional. The wise man once said:

"Meaningless! Meaningless!"
says the Teacher.
"Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless."

Yet at the end of Ecclesiastes Solomon had changed his mind and recognized that there were no small things, no meaningless things, but all things had purpose (Remember chapter 3):

Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.

For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.

God...One of Us

I'm always amazed at the anger of man and his eagerness to turn from the God of heaven and renounce Him. I have seen and heard dozens, if not hundreds, who have claimed there is no God. They find that pain, sorrow and death are too real to allow them to believe in a good, kind, merciful God, certainly not the God of the Bible. I think, however, that many have rejected the notion of God because they never really took a look at Him. They failed to see who He really was and that Failure led them astray.

I see God as one who desires the companionship of man. More than that, I see God as one who desires to be with me. This is not arrogance on my part, it is the reality of what Jesus came to show us. That God was not just interested in the multitude, but in the one. He showed it often throughout the New Testament. But if we had looked deeply enough we would have seen the same kind of thing in the Old Testament as well. God created Adam and Eve, placed them in that special garden and then walked with them. He was among them, sharing time and conversing with them. Why would a God that big settle for something as tiny as fellowship with us? The Psalmist asked the same thing: "What is man that you are mindful of him?" Good question.

When God led the Israelites out of Egypt He was with them in the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. He was leading and protecting them. Eventually He told them to make Him a tent, a tabernacle because He was going to be with them. He didn't want a stationary temple, but a tent so that when they moved He would move with them and be with them. They made it and they felt His presence.

Then, so they/we would really know Him He came in person. And what was He like? He nursed at our breasts and played with our children. He went to town as a boy; grew to be a carpenter. Surely there was a time or two that He even smashed His thumb as He made some furniture or framed a house. Joseph tutored Him, showing Him how to make tables and benches. As a man He came to our weddings, went to our funerals, wept with us. He sat at our tables, ate our food and even spent time at our parties. He taught us, healed us, gave us sight and raised one or two of us from the dead. And all the time He was with us He was showing us who God really was. "If you've seen me you've seen my Father." Whatever Jesus was the Father was...is. There came a day when in our arrogance we failed to be of service to each other and He, God, mind you, took off His clothes, wrapped a towel around His waist, got on His hands and knees and washed our feet! What?! God washed my feet? Yes. Oh, yes!

God was telling us He wasn't someone who just needed us to kowtow to Him. He didn't need our worship or temples. He had everything He needed, if He had a need. What He wanted to do was show us that He was not really like the god we pictured Him to be. No. He was a servant, a giver. He wanted to pour out blessings, not just receive praise. His greatness wasn't wrapped up in His power, it was found in His service. He tells us that the greatest among us would be the servant of all. Greatness was found in serving. So our feet were washed and our hearts were broken with guilt of our selfishness.

Then God showed us the ultimate example of who He was and is. He went to the cross and offered Himself as a sacrifice. His blood was poured out and His body offered. His flesh became the doorway into heaven and we found out that God wasn't some kind of ego-maniac needing human sacrifices to satisfy His lust for the blood and fear of mankind. No, that was not Him. Instead He showed us that the greatest love is love that gives itself for those loved. The greatest love of all is not love of self, but love offered for others. It is love that gives.

God became one of us and in doing that He said to us, this is what I'm really like and what I really want. He was and is a giver and what He wants is to be with us. As He was preparing to leave, Jesus told us that the Father's house was big and there was room enough for all in that house. He was going to prepare for us so that one day we would all be living in the house of God the Father. God was waiting for us and preparing for the day that we would all be with Him. The Father wants us home.