God has a plan. Trust in His love.

Photo by Maureen Kennedy Macel

In the Bible there is a story about a family that Jesus was friends with. There were two sisters and a brother, and the brother, Lazarus, got sick and died.

Here are some story highlights (the entire story can be found in John 11):

Jesus found out that Lazarus was sick, but he did not go to visit Lazarus right away, and instead he waited a few days. Jesus told his disciples, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” 11

Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 14-15

Jesus arrives and meets with Martha, one of the sisters. They talk and Jesus says to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” 25-27

Jesus speaks with Mary, the other sister. Jesus weeps about Lazarus’ death. Jesus prays. Jesus glorifies God. Then Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. 32-44

 

Here is what we can see in this story:

• God knows everything.
• God has a plan.
• God is with us.

Jesus knew that Lazarus had died. Jesus had a plan to glorify God with the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. Jesus went to Martha and Mary to support, console, and suffer heartache with them.

Jesus already knew what he was going to do, but he allowed Martha the opportunity to proclaim her faith and receive a miracle.

 

God has a plan, and he promises that he is with us through everything.  He says to us, “Do you believe that I love you? Do you trust me?” Let us say to Jesus, no matter the circumstances, “Yes, I believe!”

 

“For I know well the plans I have in mind for you says the Lord, plans for your welfare not for your woe. Plans to give you a future full of hope!” Jeremiah 29:11-12

TREE HUGGERS SUCK: Reject labels. Embrace the person.

Photo by Maureen Kennedy Macel

TREE HUGGERS SUCK. The words were glaring at me in a nasty font across the back of a truck I was driving behind. Nice. This person who doesn't know me thinks that I suck.

How often do assign labels to people so we can categorize and judge them? We look to elevate ourselves above others. Christians and people of good will are called to embrace people and not judge them (Matthew 7:1-5). Humanity is called to be one in Christ (John 17:20-23).

We might be using labels more often than we realize. Liberal... Conservative... Christian... not Christian... etc. 

When we use labels to judge, what we think we know about a person, we don’t know.

And so I encourage us to reject the labels and embrace the person. Jesus did this. And Pope Francis has given us a few examples of how to do this, too. When a label has been given to provoke and disparage, he has discarded the label and gone straight to the heart of the matter:

Pope Francis recounted a story: "A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: When God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person."

When critics accused the Pope of being Marxist, Pope Francis responded, "Marxist ideology is wrong, but I have met many Marxists in my life who are good people…"

When the Pope was asked whether atheists go to heaven, he said, "The Lord has redeemed us all with the blood of Christ, all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone," he said. Some may ask, 'Father, even the atheists?' Them, too. Everyone."

So, before we slap labels on people to categorize and judge them, stop; and think of the person who is likely to be a decent and unique human being.

"I have a dogmatic certainty: God is in every person’s life. You can, you must try to seek God in every human life." –Pope Francis