Darkest dawn

Luke 4:40-44

          So I was reading this hokey little face book post abut a guy having a really bad day. This young guy is lamenting all the things that have happened to him. To give you an idea of where it went, one of the things that this guy complained about (and subsequently discussed with Jesus) is that he lost his car keys and was late for an appointment. The posting has Jesus tell the kid that the reason he (Jesus) 'arranged' for his keys to be lost is so that the kid would not be on the road where a drunk driver surely would have creamed him. So, sure the kids 'lost' his keys and was late but he was alive.  There were quite a few other examples in this face book posting. I am not so sure how much credence I give to the notion that God is working behind the scenes in our life so actively, key word being actively. This is something I struggle with. Does this affect our free will?

            But the idea that I focus on is when we think something is bad and something really good comes of it. Countless expressions are made from this type of scenario. Making lemonade when life gives you lemons; As one door closes, another opens and that it's always darkest before the dawn.

            It's this latter expression that I actually had in mind from this scripture passage. The passage begins, as the sun was setting. In many ways good things actually do happen just when we think things are horrible or couldn't get any worse. In this scripture the end of the day, the dark portion of the day, sick people were being healed by Christ.

             When I had a suspicion that my 'problems' was the fact that I was gay, the world seemed to come crashing down on me. I was married, had kids, I was a religious, I had some form of status, that is, a good and respected job, a respected position in a church community. Coming out and asking for a divorce was a major hunk of darkness looming in my life. There were not a lot of horribly bright spots looming. I had the interest of a good friend with no guarantees of a future with him, I could fully expect a bad outcome from the church, my wife and kids. In retrospect the ones that failed me the most were the religious and some of the family that professed for decades to love me. Of course entering the darkness, actually meant walking into the light. As I came out of the closet I entered a great life of light filled with self respect, new friends, turns out a most wonderful husband and also that God still loved me even though "the church" abandoned me. It is all terribly ironic. I have since been rewarded by the light of an even deeper faith and a magnificent faith community and friends.

             I have no great promises to make except to note that darkness is merely a human vantage point. It is a manufactured reference we use. The scripture here uses it to show that this is so. As the sun  set, new life and hope was given to sinners and sick people. It is a lesson we need to remember. It is something we need to know that no matter what, light, dark, happy, sad, keys lost, losing a job, whatever, God is always with us making everything filled with light and hope.

As the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various kinds of diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on each of them and cured them. Demons also came out of many, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Messiah.

At daybreak he departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowds were looking for him; and when they reached him, they wanted to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.’ So he continued proclaiming the message in the synagogues of Judea.