Seek the Lord while he wills to be found;* call upon him when he draws near.

Let the wicked forsake their ways* and the evil ones their thoughts;

and let them turn to the Lord, and he will have compassion,* and to our God, for he will richly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,* nor your ways my ways, says the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,* so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

For as rain and snow fall from the heavens* and return not again, but water the earth, bringing forth life and giving growth,* seed for sowing and bread for eating,

So is my word that goes forth from my mouth;* it will not return to me empty;

But it will accomplish that which I have purposed,* and prosper in that for which I sent it.

The Second Song of Isaiah (Is. 55:6-11), pp. 86-87, BCP

On one side of Blueberry Hill, just a hike away from Merrymeeting Lake, you’ll find Chalk Pond. It’s spring fed, and the breezes ruffle its surface almost constantly throughout the day. It’s not surprising to see white caps in the Spring and Fall, or for Winter winds to wipe its icy surface clean of snow. Summer sunshine makes a diamond of it, throwing light everywhere.

But evening brings a change. The winds die down and the sun’s rays cannot obscure its surface in a dazzle of light. As the stars appear in the sky, they appear on the dark mirror surface of Chalk Pond. What is above is so clearly captured below that one becomes indistinguishable from the other. Heavens above, heavens below – and the grace of seeing both hundreds and hundreds of times.

If I can be still in my soul, if I can let go of all that ruffles and disturbs, might I reflect in my own small life the infinite wonder of God’s grace?

The differences don’t end with what goes on in our inner landscapes: the differences continue in our actions, habits, efforts – how our inner worlds manifest themselves in this outer one we share.  Our ways of being and doing are as far from God’s as our thoughts are – maybe even farther.

Knowing what is needed to love God, self, and neighbor – which isn’t easy – is not the same as loving God, self, and neighbor in tangible ways. It takes effort, patience, and true sacrifice to turn what exists only in possibility into an actuality. And once that effort is made, there’s no guarantee that we will see the fruit of our labors. There’s also no guarantee that we will be recognized, thanked or rewarded for any of it.

So why not leave our ideas and ideals in the realm of potentiality? Why make the attempt to follow the Spirit? There’s only one reason I can think of: the cost of not making the attempt is a life only half lived – a spectator sport bereft of tangible joy. Isn’t living the life God gives us, taking up our own crosses, the only true way to live?

God’s ways, Christ’s way, may not be our ways. But we can offer our fragile and fallible ways, trusting that the Spirit just might be willing to turn them to God’s purpose, and that they will lead us to resurrection.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,*

Nor your ways my ways, says the Lord.

[For more on this series, and the whole canticle, click Lent 2021 above.]

Forsake: To renounce or turn away from entirely. 

[Merriam Webster’s definition is succinct, but if you scroll down a bit, you’ll find an additional note under the synonyms and antonyms button: to leave without intent to return. This isn’t a vacation, a break, a let’s-leave-some-options-open kind of thing. This is a burn-the-bridges action, because there is no going back. www.merriam-webster.com]

Seek the Lord while he wills to be found;*

call upon him when he draws near.

Let the wicked forsake their ways*

and the evil ones their thoughts;

I don’t think of myself as wicked, or as an evil mastermind plotting the downfall of all that is good and holy. But I am quite blind to my own limitations, and whatever damage they do to neighbors far and near. I need an outsider’s perspective to shine a light on what I cannot and do not wish to see. Without such help, I cannot renounce or turn away from what is maiming my spirit and harming others. My small and fearful self doesn’t want to die, even when that death is necessary for a new self to be resurrected out of its ashes.

Giving this perspective, this help, is a prophet’s calling – and the reason so many prophets are killed. No one likes to die, even if the death of a small self offers a blessed, more expansive life. It’s far easier, perhaps, to kill the messenger than to admit to what is choking the life out of the spirit.

If I didn’t know in the deepest recesses of my soul that God was present, just a breath and a word away, would I have the courage to let go of even the least of my limitations?

God, give me strength to forsake what is killing me and harming others and give my neighbor a double portion of that strength. In Jesus’ name I pray, So Be It.

Seek the Lord while he wills to be found; call upon him when he draws near.

Let the wicked forsake their ways, and the evil ones their thoughts;

And let them turn to the Lord, and he will have compassion, and to our God, for he will richly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor my ways your ways, says the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

For as the rain and snow fall from the heavens, and return not again, but water the earth, 

Bringing forth life and giving growth, seed for sowing and bread for eating,

So is my word that goes forth from my mouth; it will not return to me empty;

But it will accomplish that which I have purposed, and prosper in that for which I sent it.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. [The Second Song of Isaiah, BCP, p. 86-87]

 photo by Jared Fredrickson