Touched by Fire
Tuesday, March 28: The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that
this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted
out.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who
will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”
Isaiah 6:7-8
Last weekend, I heard Lita Johnson, who supervises international programs for our national church organization, call to build peace, worldwide. She asked that we help people, as if they were our neighbors, to love them as much as we love ourselves. She asked that we walk between the Lions of this world, among the Wolves that howl every night, bringing Peace with the subtlety of the serpent and the innocence of the dove.
Our little church on the Jersey Shore supports school children overseas, collects for hurricane victims down South, and tsunami survivors on the Indian Ocean. There is so much need, so much want. The things we do seem so small compared to the suffering.
In today’s Bible verse, an Angel brings a live coal from the Temple’s fire and blots out sin. Redeemed, Isaiah answers God’s call, even though his commission would harden the hearts of Israel. The prophet would proclaim the truth, but Israel would not hear it. God would remain a mystery to almost all of them.
At our baptism, we received real hearts of flesh and blood to replace our hearts of stone. Our new hearts cannot turn away from those in need. Our new hearts cannot ignore the meek, the wounded, the broken. In the twelfth chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans, he showed that God’s word is revealed, that, for us, the mystery is as plain as day.
We were ransomed for a purpose. He bought us for a reason. This Lent, remember that we serve as the hands and feet of Christ in the world. It does not matter that our individual actions are small, because they are just part of His plan. We must use our gifts to feed His Lambs and to bring Peace to this World.
O Lord,
This Lent let me promise not to fight
Let me build up my brother and sister
Let me bring at least a small portion of Peace to this
war-wracked world
Give me the vision to see your commission for me
Give me the wisdom of the serpent to do your work
May I be as innocent as the dove as walk in your ways
until you call me home
Amen
Dennis Blazak