Saturday, March 27, 2010

Where is Your God?




"My tears have been my food day and night, while all day long they say to me, 'Where now is your God?'" (Psalm 42:3)


"Where is your God? People ask us the question in a doubting or mocking way. Death and sin, want and war, as well as bravery, power, and honor-that is what people see. But where is your God? We need not be ashamed of the tears we shed because we do not yet see God, because we cannot demonstrate God's presence to our sisters and brothers. Those are tears that flow for God's sake and that he records in his book (Ps. 56:8). Where is your God? What can we answer? We can only point to the person who in life, death, and resurrection proved himself to be God's true son. In death he is our life, in sin our forgiveness, in distress our helper, in war our peace. 'You shall point to this person and say: that is God' (Luther)."


"Lord Jesus, when I am tempted, because I cannot see God and his power and love in this world, let me firmly look upon you, for you are my Lord and my God. Amen"


All of the above is from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, (Sermon for the 6th Sunday After Easter, June 2, 1935-"found in a collection of sermons from Finkenwalde.") from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Meditations on the Word, Tran. & Edited, David Mcl. Gracie, 2nd edition (Lanham: A Cowley Publications Book 2008) 56. Picture by Stephen Larson


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