Order Out of Chaos In the beginning, when God began creating the heavens and earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there belight;" and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:1-2 What happens when life becomes chaotic? To avoid discomfort and disorder, there's a good chance that most of us will shift into crisis mode to avoid the darkness of chaos at all cost. While we do not like to dwell on the subject, if we are honest, we will admit that we are afraid of the darkness of chaos. Perhaps this is because of what our culture associates with chaos and darkness. Evil, shadows, negativity, monsters, crime, and the boogeyman are just a few connotations that immediately come to mind. A wider reading of religion, society, and culture, however, reveals deeper meanings for chaos and darkness that hold it sacred and vital to the journey of faith. According to the Bible, the meeting place with God is often found in chaos. For St. Paul, the apostle, who helped to spread the message of the New Testament beyond the boundaries of Jerusalem, it was the chaotic darkness of his blindness. For Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, it was the dark night of his wrestling with a divine being. Both the crucifixion and resurrection are reported to have occurred in the chaos of darkness. The good news that we need to remind ourselves of is that even the darkness is as light to God! While learning from the darkness of chaos is not a lesson that we would choose if given the choice, we all will eventually experience the fertile mystery of chaos. Sometimes such learning happens in spite of our best intentions. Remember that in order for something to be constructed, first something else must be deconstructed. In this way, Divine Order can come out of our chaotic lives. In the midst of chaos and darkness, if we are receptive, we can hear God's voice proclaiming, "Let there belight." God's light will shine in the chaos and darkness of our lives and the darkness cannot overcome it! Prayer: God, be my light as I face chaotic times. Amen. 2/22/08
Friday in the Second Week of Lent
Order Out of Chaos In the beginning, when God began creating the heavens and earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there belight;" and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:1-2 What happens when life becomes chaotic? To avoid discomfort and disorder, there's a good chance that most of us will shift into crisis mode to avoid the darkness of chaos at all cost. While we do not like to dwell on the subject, if we are honest, we will admit that we are afraid of the darkness of chaos. Perhaps this is because of what our culture associates with chaos and darkness. Evil, shadows, negativity, monsters, crime, and the boogeyman are just a few connotations that immediately come to mind. A wider reading of religion, society, and culture, however, reveals deeper meanings for chaos and darkness that hold it sacred and vital to the journey of faith. According to the Bible, the meeting place with God is often found in chaos. For St. Paul, the apostle, who helped to spread the message of the New Testament beyond the boundaries of Jerusalem, it was the chaotic darkness of his blindness. For Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, it was the dark night of his wrestling with a divine being. Both the crucifixion and resurrection are reported to have occurred in the chaos of darkness. The good news that we need to remind ourselves of is that even the darkness is as light to God! While learning from the darkness of chaos is not a lesson that we would choose if given the choice, we all will eventually experience the fertile mystery of chaos. Sometimes such learning happens in spite of our best intentions. Remember that in order for something to be constructed, first something else must be deconstructed. In this way, Divine Order can come out of our chaotic lives. In the midst of chaos and darkness, if we are receptive, we can hear God's voice proclaiming, "Let there belight." God's light will shine in the chaos and darkness of our lives and the darkness cannot overcome it! Prayer: God, be my light as I face chaotic times. Amen. 
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All day today and into the evening I thought and prayed the pray in today's sermon or blog. "God, be my light as I face chaotic times." Such a hard day for me today, it was nice to have this oray to hold on to!
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