Five corvids just appeared over the roofline of the house opposite, in a perfect ‘W’. Soon the formation broke up and they went their separate ways. It was just an accident, a coincidence, not really all that freakish. How much meaning do we ascribe to things that happen like this? Is it the work of God? … but the whole created universe is the work of God – isn’t that enough? Sometimes things can at the very least remind us that God is about the place, though. When Paul asserts that “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God…” (Romans 8:28) we may start looking for meaning in everything that happens, good or bad. I do believe that God can rescue meaning from situations that seem totally bad and even meaningless – but that belief has never really been tested in any kind of extreme way. And if you read on in that section of Romans, it seems what Paul has in mind is a greater scope, a longer and bigger view than today or tomorrow.
God help us to understand
the things that happen.
Help us to know Christ,
even in the pain.
Help us to feel the Spirit move
in our ordinary lives.
Help us to hear in every cry of pain
your call to make things better.