Rhythm of Life

J.J. Tissot, Brooklyn Museum, Wikimedia Commons

Search Party

. . . Suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one.  Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?  And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me, I have found my lost coin.’  In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”     Luke 15:8-10

“When you get old,” said my aunt, who was well into her eighties, “you’re always looking for things.”  Currently I’m missing a winter hat and mittens, a cheque, and a schedule, and have looked in all the likely and even unlikely places.  How is this even possible?

All of us can remember times when we’ve lost something important to us, even when we were young.  Whether it’s due to absent-mindedness or old age, it niggles at us so much that we turn everything upside down until we find it.  Sometimes in the process we even get a lot of drawers and cupboards sorted out.  It’s a happy day when valuable things are found.

In this parable, Jesus takes an ordinary human situation, and compares it to the way God doesn’t rest when we’ve wandered away.  In this time of COVID, people cannot attend church for various reasons.   So, as God does with us, it’s important to search them out, to call them by name. People don’t always know how much their presence is appreciated unless someone takes the time to tell them.

We need everyone in this “lost and found” place which is The Junction.  We are called together by the love of God.   Jesus’ followers were a group with very different ambitions, backgrounds and outlooks on life.  That’s the beauty of the church, because we must learn to love and work with those who are not like us, who have different strengths and weaknesses.  We need to actively search them out, because our community loses something when they are not there. 

As part of God’s search party, we can respond to His nudges, to reach out to someone who’s been on our mind.  Sometimes all it takes is a kind word, card or phone call, or just asking how things are going, sharing the ups and downs of daily life.  Sometimes it’s in giving and receiving time and talents, the joy of creating something together as a team, or being willing to laugh at ourselves.

When we are re-united with the missing ones there is great joy, for what was precious and feared lost forever is now found.  Together we feast on God’s grace at His table, soul-refreshed by Word, music, and prayer.