Ferdinand Magellan died 500 years ago today. As this article says, he and a crew of 240 and five ships set sail in 1519, and about 20 crewmen and one ship returned in 1522, thereby making the first circumambulation of the earth. In the Philippines, the occasion commemorates indigenous resistance to colonialism. The surviving crew became pioneers in the exploration of the globe.
https://www.dw.com/en/magellan-and-the-worlds-first-circumnavigation/a-49946044
A devotion written for my church for this past Sunday, to complement the guest message from Missouri UM bishop Bob Farr.
Faith in the In-Between
Genesis 12:1-9, 2 Corinthians 4:1-2
How have you navigated the craziness of this past year? I’ve done pretty well, working on writing projects at home, learning technology for teaching classes via Zoom, and generally being careful (wearing masks and washing my hands) when I ran errands.
I became very anxious, however, as the vaccine began to roll out. Ineligible for Phase 1, I was finally qualified to get my first shot at the end of March. Meanwhile, folks were proudly displaying their cards on social media—some folks who are half my age. I thought of Quint in the movie “Jaws,” remembering the time when he and fellow sailors were rescued one by one from the ocean, “That was the time I was most frightened, waiting for my turn.” Getting a vaccine and getting saved from sharks are two very different things! But it’s human nature, to begin to lose the inner strength that you’ve built to get through a situation, when the end is in sight.
Whenever I’m distressed, I know better than to think I can just switch off my emotions. So, I pray and give the situation to the Lord, acknowledging the Lord’s faithfulness to me and my family over the years.
The Apostle Paul was one who didn’t hide his feelings. 2 Corinthians is one of his most emotional letters because the congregation was such a thoughtless bunch. Easily impressed and a little shallow, they had been brushing off Paul in favor of some “super apostles” (as Paul sarcastically calls them, later in the letter). Imagine that a friend of yours suddenly replaced you with someone else. Paul spends part of the letter reminding them how loyal and genuine he had been, compared to these showy newcomers.
According to my commentaries, preachers of Paul’s time often had letters of recommendation when they introduced themselves to new congregations. Paul prefers to let his own track record speak for itself (as he does later in the letter, for instance, chapter 10).
One of Paul’s admirable traits—of which he reminds the Corinthians—is his perseverance. In his message this week, Bishop Farr calls attention to 2 Corinthians 4:1, “since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart.” Different translations have also “we do not give up” and “we do not get discouraged.” Bishop Farr quotes a translation: “we’re not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job.”
There have been times in my life when I felt torn by a difficult situation: should I stick it out, or should I cut my losses and try something else? Because I try to commit my work and life to the Lord, I want to do the right thing. But there is also the reality attributed to W. C. Fields, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There’s no point in being a [darn] fool about it.”
In such cases, I follow Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Even if I had a better intuitive sense of things, I know that I can’t see the whole picture. Maybe the light at the end of the tunnel only appears as a surprise. Usually, I do stick things out, even if conventional wisdom might have made quitting a more sensible option.
Paul did feel like a “fool” with the Corinthians because of their treatment of him. Surely Abraham and Sarah did, too, in their situation. In our other scripture, God called the family to settle in Canaan, where God would make of their descendants a great nation. But the couple was already older, and many years in their story would pass until God’s promises came to pass. We know that there were times when their inner strength faltered—but also times when they continued to trust God in spite of uncertainty.
What challenges have you had during this pandemic? How have you managed this “in-between” time? Do any of the challenges seem like God’s call to you for something new and different? What are some ways that you see God working in your life in the months ahead?
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for guiding and helping us, and for choosing us to follow you all our days. Amen.
