Reaching For God

This week's scriptures are Psalm 30 and Mark 5:21-43.

My youngest grandbaby, Chey, is almost a year and a half. I spent a couple of wonderful days with her last weekend. She even says "Pappa," which is a magnificent word. And she reaches out when she wants to be picked up or held. (Mostly for her Mommy, but sometimes for Pappa too).

She can't jump into our arms; and we wouldn't expect her to. But reaching is important.

The people in our Markian passage were reaching. One on her own behalf and another on behalf of his daughter. It would be possible, and in once sense, correct, to say that there was nothing either of these two people could do. The woman who had been bleeding for twelve years had, in fact, tried everything there was to try. But they could reach...and reach they did.

Reaching for God is the hunger in our hearts crying out. Reaching is the prayer of "I don't know if you're there, God, but if you are, please...help me."

So much of the behavior we see, in others and in ourselves, that creates problems can be looked at as a reaching. Reaching for healing from pain, for connection to others, for an end to loneliness. All of these are, ultimately I believe, a reaching for God. But our response as the Body of Christ is to also help with the here-and-now issues involved in that reaching.

Would we respond differently if we could see these problems as the arms of a child reaching up to be held against the fears of life? Would we as the Body of Christ be more willing to respond by embracing, soothing, caring for the hurting, wounded fellow children of our Heavenly Parent (or even better, Grandparent)?

My grandbaby reaches for me and I am reminded of my own reaching for God. She stretches further and I am reminded of those around us reaching, stretching, straining to touch the One who brings solice. The world it reaching...what will we do?

Hope to see you Sunday.
Shalom,
Stephen