Vigilance

 

No matter how nasty things seem, God's grace will always prevail.  I want to trust in that.  But the world makes it difficult.  I want to be awake to God's love and power.

But there is violence, war, harm that comes to children, to the innocent.  Sometimes the world seems powerless to protect us from the cheat, the backstabber, the rage-addicted bully who holds the position of power.

Saint Paul tells us that no matter how dark, no matter how bleak the landscape, God's light will rule.  All that is required of me is to endure, wait with faith and hope, and be watchful.  To be awake, alert and prepared.  To put first things first. (Romans 5:12-21)

In a world where every new day brings a new tale of loss, brutality or disappointment, how do I get beyond these gut-wrenching spectacles and put first things first?

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus uses the example of vigilant servants waiting for their master's return.  They’re ready, alert, living their lives with the faithful expectation that the master will be back.  They’re not distracted. (Luke 12:35-38)

Sometimes the world distracts me.  Sometimes I lose sight of why I am here.  Sometimes I can’t stay awake.  To be vigilant, to avoid living in the kind of stupor that’s inculcated by my rushed and harried life, is more than I can do alone.

This is where God helps me.

“Be vigilant at all times and pray.” (Luke 21:36).  We never know what’s going to happen.  We never know when we will be called upon.  We need to be ready for anything any time.  We don’t know the time, the hour or the day.  The servants don’t know when their master will return, so they need to be ready any time.  Even if he comes back in the middle of the night, they need to be ready to do what he needs.  If he comes in the night and finds them asleep, he won’t be pleased to have to wake them.  But if he comes in the night and they’re waiting up, ready to do what he needs right away he’ll be pleased.  He will be so pleased that he’ll reward them.

I’m reminded of the dozens of times when the word came down from my superiors that the “mucky-mucks” were going to be visiting my locations for compliance with programs, policy, and procedures.  My first reaction was, for a long time, to worry and sweat and complain that I wouldn’t be ready for them.  It took years for me to realize that if I was simply doing my job to the best of my ability and serving the customer first, I had nothing to prepare for, and nothing to fear when ‘company’ arrived.

We need to be like the servants who are ready for their master at any moment because we don’t know the moment.  When Jesus comes for us, we need to be ready.  We need to be able to say, “Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.” (Psalm 40:8-9).  We need to be vigilant at all times.  We need to be ready when the Lord comes.  We can’t be asleep; we can’t assume we have more time.  We don’t know the time, so we need to be ready anytime, ready to do His will.