Wrestling with God

WRESTLING WITH GOD

In one way or another we find chances to wrestle with God. It is engaging a duel with him, trying to find his power and presence in relation to our own strength and limits.

Jacob wrestled with God in a cave, as he rested from his long escape away from Esau, his brother, who wanted to revenge against him for the grievous offence he did against his brother by stealing away Esau’s birthright. In Jacob’s fear and aloneness and in his fight to defend his own life, he experienced wrestling a power greater than himself, which at the end made him surrender. He wrestled with God’s presence until it was dawn and discovered that he was defeated and it was God who won. Jacob saw himself naked, a treacherous fragile being before an awesome and powerful presence.

The same thing with Job. He was a good and rich man. He had honour and all the material belongings of a great, respected and powerful man. But at a wink of an eye, he lost them all, including his own children and health. His body was covered with disease and sores, making him an awful sight to those around him. Job wrestled with God, declaring his righteousness and mouthing his need to be justly dealt by God. But his wrestling,as witnessed by his friends, enabled him to see that he could not win. He was a man before an awesome presence and as a human being, he might as well surrender to that great power.

To undergo crises in life, like getting sick or losing someone we love, losing a job, going bankrupt, or undergoing so much pain because of abrupt loss and change in normal life gives us a chance to wrestle with God. It is bringing us into the central point in life when we are able to pick up what we can consider the most precious thing among other things, which are left before us. It is bringing us to the center point that is God. It is letting us discover the moments when what we all depend on and hope for which we pin upon materials things and fellow human beings go in disillusion and total bankruptcy. And it is when no other option is left, and we are led to wrestle with God, to make bargain and pledges, to cry and pray, wanting only to be heard and be helped.

Wrestling with God is a privilege. Others may cease to struggle. Even the moment of acceptance must come out of the wrestling. It is coming closer to God, refusing to look at God as a simple term which humans have coined. It is knowing that deep in our soul and in our hearts, there is a still voice, awakening us to hope and wait. It is the voice of God calling us to respond actively—to wrestle with him through our questions, cries and screams, through a sharing of our doubts, fear and anger and at the end when seeing his power and experiencing his awesome presence, we cannot help but surrender to his will. It is because we cannot win in the duel. We cannot win because he bears us by his strong and mighty hands.

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Elizabeth Padillo Olesen
Jacob and Job are two characters in The Old Testament of the Bible.

Holy Friday, Acrostics

H: Holy, hollowed be thy name
O: Omnipotent, omnipresent
L: Love divine, life eternal
Y: Yielding and bearing fruits
     to live and guide.
   
F: Father and Son, far and yet near
R: Reconciling God and mankind
I:  Interpreting, concretizing God's love
D: Death  and life in devotion to God's plan:
A: Altar of obedience and submission
Y: You, Jesus, the great offering for our lives.

Holy Friday and the God-given Duty

On a Holy Friday we are led to watch a scene in Jesus' life when he was crucified. Here we stand face to face  with a man who, without sin, was beaten, spitted upon and was crucified. Here we know of one who gave his life that others might live. Here we are talking of  a historical Jesus who was born, who lived, ministered to the sick, the hungry, the imprisoned, the downtrodden, and who, at the age of 33,  was made to bear the cross as capital punishment given to criminals at that period in time. On this Holy Friday, we get a glimpse of one figure in our history who accepted death as ransom for many. He did not use violence to confront the forces of tyranny, but offered himself to save others.

Painting by EPO, 30x30cm, acryl on canvass, Reconciliation

This is one of the things why I embrace the Christian faith. Jesus showed the unconditional love of God to people. In him I see God's purpose to protect human life and not to destroy life. The role of those who believe in Jesus is to submit their lives in obedience to God's will in the common task of preserving, protecting and upholding human life and the life of creation that sustains human life.

Jesus, Light of the World, and Its Significance in our Modern Time

 Jesus, Light of the World, and What It Means to us in    our Modern  Time

·         Isaiah 9: 1-12/Luke 2.2-14

 1  Lights in our midst and introduction of the theme

One of the things which many of us find it very amazing is how lights are used when Christmas is celebrated in many countries throughout the world. Homes, churches, shops, streets and corners in villages, towns and cities are beautifully lighted and many would like to see these beautiful and spectacular sights. Christmas seems to appear to our eyes as great celebration of lights. And today I want to reflect with you on Jesus  who was born on Christmas day and who identified himself “ Light of the World.”

In one of my recent visits in the Philippines, I learned the story of one of the survivors of the boat that sunk one dark and stormy night. His story is taken by the local people out there as an inspiration to their faith. This man said, that as the boat left the wharf, he was all the while sleeping inside the boat and suddenly, he realized, he was down deep in the cold and dark waters.  And the first thing he could do was to call on God’s help with all his heart. And then he saw light breaking through that darkness which in split seconds, guided  him to get out of the boat and into the surface of the sea.He spent hours swimming and floating on the sea, still keeping the prayer in his heart for God’s help, until he was rescued.

Why I am sharing this testimony of this survivor. Here we find light that guides the way, that light shines and breaks through darkness, that light penetrates even into the deep darkness. What has this to do with us, who celebrate Christmas saying that Jesus is Light of the World?

2. Importance of Light in  science, religions and cultural traditions

First, I want to establish the fact how light is very necessary for every living thing on earth and how light is used by many religions and cultural traditions to tell the truth about what light is able to do.

Science tells us how important and essential light is to all living things. Plants are only able to manufacture food through a process called photosynthesis. Photo means light, which means that it is only when plants are able to unite with sunlight that the process of change is able to take place, that there comes growth, that plants are able to manufacture food, produce fruits, or give off oxygen to the atmosphere for us to breathe.

The reality of lights is also symbolically defined by major religions which convey some universal religious meanings. For example, in Hinduism Hindus celebrate the Diwali, called the  Festival of Lights. Here it is celebrating the triumph of good over evil. Good triumphs  over evil and in spite of evil. In Nepal, this same festival of light, during the third day, is dedicated to a goddess called Laxmi, whom they welcome to their lighted homes, Laxmi is the goddess whom they believe grants them prosperity. For the Hindus it is light that symbolizes victory and the good things in life.

In Buddhism we have Buddhists  celebrating the 8^th of December as the Day of the Enlightenment, alleged to be the day, when Prince Siddharta received light under the Bunyan or Pipal tree, which radically  changed his way of thinking and living, and  from that day on, he was called Gautama Buddha, or the Enlightened One.Here is light that transforms and enlightens ways of thinking and living.

In Judaism we have also Jews celebrating what is called Hanukkah, when the 8 candles are lighted between November and December to remind them of that oil that never dried up during their difficult  time, and the same lighting of these 8 candles which  means to  rededicate the temple which was destroyed in the second century . Hanukkah celebration of lights emphasizes the idea of renewal and restoration after a period of destruction (which meant a lot for their identity)  Light brings in  renewal   and restoration.

(In Islam we have Ramadan when Muslims are known to fast and to do their duties as believers, giving them time to focus on the need for cleansing the inner life. )

And in the Scandinavian countries we have the Santa Lucia tradition of the Swedish origin, or from Italian origin,  recalling the lady that brought food and help to the hungry villages during the dark winters. We have light reaching out to those who are in need. (How nice to see small children from Munkevængets Skole doing Santa Lucia procession and singing for the lonely and old people of the  Home for the Aged at Olivehaven.)

In the Christian faith, we have Christmas with light of the star  that guided the Three Kings and the lowly and simple shepherds to the place of the newly born king, the Saviour. In the Christian faith, at Christmas time, we celebrate  the birth of Jesus, the promised Messiah, the Light of the World, that not only guides, renews, enlightens our way of thinking, transforms  and reconciles but  light that saves us. One of the common texts which Filipino children recite by memory during Christmas is from John 3.16: “ For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”The one who was born on Christmas day is for Christians the Lord and Savior.

But as Light of the World, he is also Lord and Saviour even to those who do not accept him, even to those who reject and persecute  him.This is because this light  is able to penetrate even into the deepest darkness in human  hearts.We need only to hear testimonies of people changing their ways upon encountering Jesus as Light. We can recall the story of Saul who was a great persecutor and who changed to be a leader of the Christian faith, the Saul who changed to Paul and many more cases of  transformation of men and women in our human history upon encountering Jesus as Light.

3. What does it mean for us today if Jesus is Light of the World?   The book of Isaiah being read to us tells about people who walked in darkness and they were able to see the great light and then they rejoiced.

The historical background around the birth of Jesus is the darkness of chaos, war and oppression under the Roman Empire.  People experienced the deep sea of darkness, of despair, of fear and pain and they hoped for a Messiah who could save them. (They hoped for the restoration of the golden age of the  Kingdom of David). Here we have the background of people hoping for the good days to come, for the change from the terrible situation. And it was in this historical context that the Messiah was given. This is the story of Christmas, not only for those who lived many centuries ago but also for our modern time.

At present and in our modern time, we experience the sea of darkness in global and national economy, in politics, in health, conflicts in relationships. The same human feelings of anger, hatred, meaninglessness, hopelessness envelop the human senses that some of us begin to despair and surrender the faith in God because darkness is so deep, immense and seems impossible to overcome. In my work I have come in dialogue with atheists, saying that they don’t believe in God at all because if there is God, then why it  is that people are suffering?

And yet this is precisely this that Christmas tells us. The one who was born at Christmas time  gives meaning and hope to our suffering world. Jesus as Light of the World comes as Messiah, the Emmanuel. A new affirmation in life is brought to our mind and heart, that God in his mercy, comes to us and dwells with us even in our moments of darkness, of despair and pain. And in Him there is light even in great darkness. Jesus, Light of the World, comes to us as Lord and Saviour.

How many of us have seen the film, “The Witch, the Wardrobe and the Lion” the first fantasy novel written by a very well-respected Christian writer C.S. Lewis which is made into a film. Here is a story that partly tells us of the Christmas story. C.S. Lewis, the popular author of the Chronicles of Narnia, tells us of a world governed by the  magic of the witch who intended that it should be winter all the time, that darkness and coldness should ever prevail all the days for the people in Narnia, and that Christmas should not come at all. But the coming of Aslan made it possible to bring changes.  Light broke through the coldness and darkness and plants and flowers began to blossom. Creatures in Narnia whom the witch turned to stones came back to life. Susan, Peter and Lucy  experienced joy in their hearts and the treacherous Edmund began to search through his heart, and realized that he committed wrong by aligning with the queen of darkness, the witch.The coming of Aslan brought them joy, enlightenment to the mind, reconciliation, renewal and salvation to the world of Narnia.Through his pen which appeals to the imagination of the children, C.S. Lewis is telling a part of the story of Christmas.

What does this Christmas story mean for us today? It means there is darkness in the world we live in. Here in this world we experience diseases, human violence, natural calamities, accidents, and even death.The account read to us from the gospel of Luke has the background that small children were killed by Herod’s attempt to find the baby Jesus.  In historical account of one Josephus, one Roman Jewish historian, this is referred to as the Massacre of the Innocents. Herod could not accept to be replaced by a child prophesied to be the Lord and King and he ordered the slaughter of the small children younger than 2 years old. And even today we have children dying every minute by corruption, hunger and poverty. Even today as we celebrate Christmas in our homes and churches, we have people crying and dying because of natural calamities, and even today there are  those who continue to work out schemes to destroy others  driven by  hate and revenge.

 But Jesus who is light of the world is  Emmanuel, telling us that God is in  our midst,  able to help us overcome evil with good, enlightening our mind to change our ways of thinking and living, enabling us to forgive, reconcile broken relationships, enabling us to give, to  reach out to those who are in need. This is the Christmas affirmation at Christmas time.

4.  Lastly, I want to point out that Jesus as Light of the World makes us  the children of the Light. We are called to share this light. The book of Isaiah further describes this newly born child Jesus or Messiah as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Soon in our worship we say the prayer of St. Francis of Assissi, a simple man who by an encounter of the light of Jesus, radically changed his way of thinking and living and absolutely gave himself to the pursuit of love and peace. It is our call and duty as Christians, for having received Jesus as Light of the world that we also share the light in Him.

Let me conclude this reflection by sharing  with you a short text  I happened to read from a poster when I was a young student in the Philippines.  The text simply moved me that I had to make a melody to it, to sing it so I could not forget it. For now let me just read it to you.

                Darkness cannot drive out darkness 

               Only light can

                Hate cannot drive out hate

                Only love can

                But we simply cannot love just because we will to love

                First of all, let us come to the source of all light. Jesus Christ,

                The more we come to him, the more we learn to love.

 The Light of the World has come, able to penetrate even to deepest darkness in our life, in our family, in our society and in our world. This Light of the World is Emmanuel, God’s eternal presence in our midst,  Lord and Saviour, able to create changes, renewal, enlightenment, and calls us to a life of joy and service.  Jesus has  come and let our Christmas be our coming to him.

Let this be our message this Christmas day in the year 2011. Jesus, The Light of the World, has come as Lord and Saviour. We have every reason to celebrate and rejoice.  Merry Christmas!

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by Elizabeth Padillo Olesen, message  delivered to the International Congregation in Kolding, Denmark, December 24, 2011.