“At that time people began to invoke the name of the Lord.” (Genesis 4:26b)
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who instead of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at hte right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)
Scripture is the written record of the Word of God. The letters, stories, apocalypses, poems, prayers, proverbs, and histories that comprise what we call The Bible, are the reflections of human beings on God and life. These reflections have been preserved in the community of faith for thousands of years. In its entirety, the Bible reveals for us who we are as humans, who God is, and what we are to do/not do according to the design of God.
In short, Scripture is the means God has chosen to reveal God’s self to us in the way God wants to be revealed; and to reveal ourselves to us in the way that only our Creator can know and reveal.
What we learn as we begin to study this revelation, from the beginning to the end, is that it reveals for us a particular way of life. A way of life lived by faith. A way of life that acknowledges that everything – including life itself – is received as a gift. There is no reason for us human beings to live except to share life with one another and with our Creator – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Faith anchors our emotions and thoughts in a context that transcends our momentary highs and lows. Faith anchors us in a story that began far before we were born and will come to its conclusion long after we die.
Faith assures us that, even when we die, and even when our loved ones die, we are not forgotten. Our lives have not been in vain. And just as Jesus was resurrected, we wait in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life.
With the assurance of faith, we can endure and enjoy the present life free from the burdens imposed by a world of chaos and bad news. We live by good news!
So, let us face this day by invoking the name of the Lord. Bringing to mind who God is, who we are, and who God has proclaimed us to be as beloved brothers and sisters with Christ. And, let us lay aside the weight and run (or walk slowly yet with purpose) towards whatever the day holds, with the assurance that Jesus has run this way already and is cheering us on, and praying for us, and looking for our reunion at the right hand of the throne of God.