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Once upon a time, or so the story goes, in a land far away, lived a
nation of people very different from us. Their appearance was
different, as were their customs and clothing. And they had no idea of
the one true God. Among the wealthy of this nation was an elite group
of star-gazers, those who watched the sky every evening for omens and
portends, and who sold their conclusions to whoever would pay for their
"words of wisdom," gathered from the very stars. They were in fact,
fortunetellers, employed as advisors to the king, to various officers of
government and to traders who needed to know not only weather details,
but also political climates and safe routes for their wares. The Bible
calls them Magi, members of the school of Hermes Trismegistus. One
night, at least one of their number gazing heavenward noticed a new
constellation, a star so bright it was dazzling to the naked eye.
Quickly he consulted with trusted colleagues and together they watched
the star, suspended like a diamond beneath the velvet sky. In haste
they pulled from containers documents that spoke of a star such as this,
and found that it was an omen announcing the reign of a new king.
Quickly they made their plans. They simply had to discover what person
this might be whose star now dominated the evening sky. To their
employers their reasons for an absence from their positions seemed
ridiculous, grown men tracking the source of a star! Yet for just three
of the Magi, the call to seek out the truth over-rode all other
concerns. A camel train was assembled, and with as much care and
preparation as they devoted to their pronouncements the Magi each chose
a gift for this new king. One chose gold, one frankincense and one
decided on myrrh.
After travelling for some considerable time, and interviewing even the
King of the Jews, Herod, their journey took them to a stable in
Bethlehem where, according to the holy books kept by Herod's advisors,
such a king would be born. And there before their eyes they beheld him,
God incarnate, of that there was no doubt in their minds. So they
presented him with their gifts and took their leave, returning to their
own land by a different route. Such a long journey, taken by three men
who sought the truth. Yet Jesus assures us that all who truly seek will
find.
The history of the early Christian church as recorded in the Book of
Acts recounts another story, this time of a jailer who, when a violent
earthquake flung open every door of the prison under his charge and
shook loose the chains of the prisoners, prepared to kill himself. Even
as he drew his sword the voice of Paul reached him assuring him that not
one person had taken advantage of this unexpected freedom. He was as
shaken by this fact as were the Magi by the appearance of the new
constellation in the sky, and like them he was filled with a burning
desire to know why. Leading his prisoners outside to comparative safety
he asked the question, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And to him
was given the answer which remains unchanged even today, "Believe in the
Lord Jesus Christ and then you will be saved, you and your household."
During the pages of history many have sincerely held beliefs that have
since been disproved. The earth does not rest on the back of a giant
turtle, nor is it flat. The sun and other stars do not revolve around
the earth, and the printing press was not invented by the devil. So
many have died who dared challenge beliefs such as these, so many
endured weeks of torture. So how can we be sure that all who believe in
the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved? What do we mean when we claim to
believe? In the letter of James written to the displaced Jews, we hear
his argument on work (or words) versus faith. Note, he does not claim
that any who believe in God are damned, but merely that all creatures
believe in Christ. What he is pressing home is the need for those who
claim to know Jesus intimately to demonstrate God's love in their own
lives. It is very easy for one to claim to be a believer, the proof
however is in the life transformed by the Holy Spirit. All those who
seek Jesus, who hunger for more than "religion" can provide, will find
in God the answer to all those needs and hungers. The moment, however,
we demand "works" as proof of one's salvation, by self-indulgence we
substitute ourselves for God, thus seizing the position of the judge of
humanity. For how would any who are afflicted by paralysis such as
every muscle is affected, and who in seeking find their Creator and
healer qualify as Christians? No voice to pray or praise, no hands to
clap, no legs to run and jump for joy, but a heart and mind fully
cognizant and fully immersed in Christ. No works, yet equaled welcomed
as any other beloved, forgiven and redeemed child of God.
James goes on to link the faith and actions of those such as Abraham and
Rahab as examples to his readers. Yet Rahab was a prostitute, and
nowhere do we find any priest or prophet of Israel demanding she change
her profession before she is acceptable to God. Nowhere in Scripture do
we hear Jesus insist that any change their sexual orientation before
they are acceptable to God. To the adulterous women he suggests she
"sin no more," and the simple fact is if she were caught again in an
adulterous liaison he would not be able to save her. It was her life he
was protecting, not her relationship with God.
Like the Magi, members of the GLBT community are often perceived as
different. Sometimes we dress differently, our music and literature are
our own, and those who sit in moral judgement have treated us as
outsiders, just as were these astrologers by the Jewish social and
religious community. Yet, just as their earnest search was rewarded
when they encountered God Incarnate, so we who seek to bring our
vulnerabilities and imperfections to our Maker may be assured that it is
by God's grace we accepted. It is our actions of seeking and of
believing that enable God to reopen the channels of spiritual
nourishment for which our spirits have been starved, for God never
forces any to return. It is Holy Spirit who accomplishes any changes in
our hearts and lives. Those who place conditions or barriers between
our Saviour and us deny the miracles of God's grace and love. Let us
hear again Christ's words recorded in verse twenty-four of the fifth
chapter of John's Gospel, "I solemnly assure you that all who hear what
I have to say and believe in the one who sent me have eternal life.
Such persons do not have to face judgement; for they have already passed
from death into life."
What does it mean to believe? It means to reach out and grasp the hand
of God in faith; for it is as we continue to trust God we discover the
face of God in even the most mundane and boring tasks in life. It is to
see Love's smile in the faces of those we meet. It is to allow God to
stretch us far beyond all we previously believed was possible and
transform our narrow days into wide vistas of opportunity and service.
It is to say, as night wraps its folds of darkness around us, our prayer
of thanks for another day spent in the very presence of God. It is to
discover life, more tremendous and vibrant than any poet or painter
could express. It is to sense in each today a little of the eternal
life that awaits us beyond heaven's door. It is to know without a
shadow of doubt that just the other side of death's doorway all who
believe in Jesus will be reunited with God.
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Other Articles By Rev. Vera I. Bourne:
Also In This Issue:
Religion Can Be a Dangerous Thing
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