Knowing changes things.
Today I saw a theme running through the three lessons for this Sunday. They all have something to do with "knowing." The Israelites, stuck in the desert, complain to Moses constantly. They do not know what their future holds in store for them. Centuries later, we know the rest of the story.
The story of Jesus and the woman at the well shows how Jesus knows us. And how knowing us makes all the difference in the world.
Then there is this passage from Romans. It dawned on me that the ONLY reason Paul can say these words is because he knows how much God loves us. We can live through the suffering because we will never be separated from God's love. Paul knows the outcome. Suffering will not win over all. Love is the victor.
Today I watched "Paradise Road." It is the fact-based story of a group of women who were imprisoned by the Japanese during World War II on the island of Sumatra. The women suffered horrible atrocities. They witnessed cruelty and endured horrific things. It is a surprise, then, that they somehow were able to muster the will to sing....thanks to the persistence of two women, Margaret and Adrianne. Margaret transcribed well-known orchestral pieces such as Dvorak's "New World Symphony." Her friend, Adrienne conducted the "vocal orchestra" of women. They managed to live out the stages that Paul lists in Romans: through suffering, endurance, then character, then hope. It was an incredible moment when they sang their first "concert" in front of their captors, not knowing how they would be treated.
The second surprise, was the response given by one woman - a missionary named Margaret - to her friend Adrienne's questions, "You don't hate them, do you? Why not?" She replied, "I've tried, but I just can't bring myself to hate people. The worse they behave, the sorrier I feel for them." I think Margaret knew the big picture. She endured the suffering because she trusted in God's bountiful love. Because of this love, she could not hate.
Margaret is a lesson for us all in these days where it appears politically correct to hate those who are different from ourselves and it is okay to hate those whom we fear.
How would things be different for us today if we responded out of the knowledge of God's love for us? If we truly believed it, if we truly knew this, wouldn't we love our enemies as Jesus instructs us to do instead of fearing and hating them?
Knowing changes things.
[Note: The two women in the story - Margaret Drummond and Adrienne Pargiter) are based on real-life women, Margaret Dryburgh and Norah Chambers. Margaret transposed instrumental pieces for human voices and Norah conducted the women. Margaret even composed some original pieces, including "Captive's Hymn." The words are a powerful witness to her passion for peace and understanding. It can be heard in this youtube video clip.)
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