September 6, 2006
Seek
“Seek the Lord while he wills to be found; call upon him when he draws near” (Is 55.6).
I never read these stringent words from Isaiah set apart in a canticle for the Morning Office that I don’t wince a little (BCP pp 86f). It’s not the way I was taught about the omnipresence of God, constantly available and constantly on the watch, both a comfort and a threat. And yet, there it is. Isaiah is no slouch, and one had well better pay attention when he speaks. We simply can’t take God for granted.
The thorough, dependable, and theologically-trained journalist Eric Sevareid spoke on the freedom of the media. About the “peoples right to know,” he said that that’s not we have. What we have, he said, is the “right to find out.” We can expect neither our singular political system nor our free press to be like some dorm mother intent on our getting three squares a day. We, at least, have to know where’s the board and when to show up.
There’s the story of a man who was wretched in poverty with no way even to house his family, let alone feed them. He was a devout soul and prayed daily for help, maybe even to win the local lottery. But time and again when the winners were announced, his name was not among them. One day he prostrated himself before his church’s high altar from dawn until dusk, pleading in frustration with God. As the sun set, a voice came from on high and said, “Well, you could at least go out and get yourself a ticket.”
“Seek the Lord while he wills to be found… ” And maybe also, to eisegete a bit, also “where” he wills to be found. While there’s yet time, when next you read your Baptismal Covenant (BCP pp 304f), you’ll find there at least one sure place to look.
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Okay, so your prayer book’s not handy. Here are the questions. The answers will come to you. Together, they make the Covenant.
• Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?
• Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
• Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
• Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
• Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?