Nothing Special?
A reading for Thursday, January 14, 2016: 1 Samuel 3:1-10.
We read the story of Samuel and we wonder what was special about him. Surely Samuel was God's chosen servant, calling to him in the middle of the night. Because we know the story of Samuel, given to the Temple at birth, we can see the path upon which God was leading Samuel. Samuel must have been different, he must have been special?
Or perhaps there is another way to read the story. The story says the "word of the Lord was rare in those days." The story says that Eli was lying in his room while Samuel was in the Temple, near the ark of the covenant. What if that rare word of the Lord suddenly ignited and Samuel just happened to be the closest to it? What if the story isn't really about Samuel at all, but what God chose to do in that moment in connecting with all of us? Samuel was just the one Eli encouraged to answer.
The point is that sometimes we don't feel worthy to be called. We are no Samuel, no Moses, no Ruth, and certainly no Jesus. How could God call someone like me? I am nothing special. But what if there is another way to understand the calling of God. What if our story isn't really about us at all, but is about what God is doing in the world? What if we just happened to be the closest when God is calling? What if all we can do is answer?
There are two acts of faith in our story today. The first is the act of faith from God in calling, and the second is the act of faith in us in answering. Truth is that's special enough. The rest of it is just our insecurities getting in the way of God connecting through us to the world...
We read the story of Samuel and we wonder what was special about him. Surely Samuel was God's chosen servant, calling to him in the middle of the night. Because we know the story of Samuel, given to the Temple at birth, we can see the path upon which God was leading Samuel. Samuel must have been different, he must have been special?
Or perhaps there is another way to read the story. The story says the "word of the Lord was rare in those days." The story says that Eli was lying in his room while Samuel was in the Temple, near the ark of the covenant. What if that rare word of the Lord suddenly ignited and Samuel just happened to be the closest to it? What if the story isn't really about Samuel at all, but what God chose to do in that moment in connecting with all of us? Samuel was just the one Eli encouraged to answer.
The point is that sometimes we don't feel worthy to be called. We are no Samuel, no Moses, no Ruth, and certainly no Jesus. How could God call someone like me? I am nothing special. But what if there is another way to understand the calling of God. What if our story isn't really about us at all, but is about what God is doing in the world? What if we just happened to be the closest when God is calling? What if all we can do is answer?
There are two acts of faith in our story today. The first is the act of faith from God in calling, and the second is the act of faith in us in answering. Truth is that's special enough. The rest of it is just our insecurities getting in the way of God connecting through us to the world...
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