More than thirty years ago, I was a member of a church that had the opportunity to help settle a Bosnian refugee family. As head of the mission committee, I had to decide if I could get the necessary people together to manage this new family’s journey to their new home in Connecticut. My response to the pastor was simple and amusing: “So you're telling me a mom, dad, and child will be arriving in December, and we need to know if we have room at the inn?” I had no idea of the struggles, obstacles, and successes we would face, but I knew that we were doing what Scripture tells us to do and that we would not be alone.
Today’s readings remind me where my direction must come from as I journey through life. Isaiah begins with a description of the challenges of this world and reminds us that we are never alone. The reading ends with God’s wonderful statement: “I will never forget you.” The many messages from the prophets in the Old Testament were never enough to fully help us understand God’s love and guidance in our lives. Jesus' Gospel message explains why he became one of us and how he wants us to follow his example. Jesus reminds us that he was never alone, and neither are we. Our tough choices must be guided by love and goodness. The last paragraph is a beautiful passage I will try to read regularly, especially in difficult times.
“I cannot do anything on my own:
I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just,
because I do not seek my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.”
