“For the sake of your servant and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made known all these great promises.” – I Chronicles 17:19
The Books of Chronicles recite the story of the people of God and their pilgrimage through the wilderness. Once again, it runs through the saga of their settlement in the new land; this time highlighting faithfulness and omitting some failures. It has the feel of “been there, done that.” It is, after all, the chronicle of the whole sacred journey. And our journeys are often more spiral than linear.
The Chronicles serve a greater purpose than simply a story of spiritual heritage. It is the response to two heartfelt questions:
Is God still with us?
How can we be faithful in this new situation?
You see, this was the time of reformation. The exile is over. A handful return to a land now in ruins and the temple is destroyed. There is no picking up where they left off. Those left behind moved on and adapted as needed. Nothing is the same. It is the time of beginning again. So, these were the questions on the heart of the people:
Is God still with us?
How can we be faithful in this new situation?
The Chronicler (perhaps it was by the pen of Ezra) says Yes. God has always done great things. God is always faithful to the promise. We’ve seen it of old. We’ll see it again.
The answer is a confident Yes. God is still with us. How we are faithful in new situations is less clear, as it should be. Every generation must test the practices of old and question the shape of former days while listening deeply to the heart of the Divine. Now and then, there will be a glimpse of the new thing required for such a time as this.
What has changed so much in your life, in the life of your community, that the old ways no longer fit as they once did? When you ask,“Is God still with us?” what rises honestly within you?
What small glimpse of “the new thing” have you noticed recently?
Create a simple spiral on a page (or in sand, snow, fabric, clay—whatever medium you love). As you move from the outer edge toward the centre, add words, colours, symbols, or images that represent: a season you are leaving,what has been lost or changed, what remains faithful and steady, questions you now carry, a new thing you sense beginning. When you reach the centre, place a single word or symbol that considers the question: “Is God still with us?” Sit with the finished piece for a few quiet moments of prayer or reflection.
0 Comments