God, it seems, is not without a sense of humour. The theme for this week is Joy and when I looked at the readings set down for today, I laughed out loud at the instructions of Paul to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances”. Are you kidding me, after the year we’ve had? I was thinking that if Paul had lived in 2020, he may very well have given different instructions. Then I remembered the words of another biblical writer, that there is nothing new under the sun. Paul also lived in a time when thousands were killed by disease. In his world there were plenty of people who were oppressed, marginalised, poverty stricken and dying for want of food and water. While he didn’t have to face the tyranny of being asked to wear a mask to protect others, he did live in the Roman Empire which demanded sole loyalty to the emperor and not Jesus on pain of death. His time was not so different after all, so why does he ask us to do these things?
The key lies in understanding that Paul believes we are to give thanks “in” all circumstances rather than “for” all circumstances. He’s not saying we should be thankful for our circumstances. If that were the case, we would be giving thanks to God for Covid. We would be giving thanks to God for all the terrible things that happen in our world and there’s nothing in the life of Jesus to lead me to believe that this would be something we should do. Rather, Paul has been pointing us to the fact that in the life of Jesus we see how things are meant to be. In the kingdom of God that Jesus began, we see how life is meant to be and how it is going to be one day. It’s a world where there is no injustice, there is no poverty, there is no illness or disease, and everyone is valued, respected, and cared for. This work, begun by Christ, is where our history is heading.
Our world is not right. We are suffering through a pandemic in particular and living in an unfair and unjust world in general. Yet we are also reminded of how Jesus calls us to live. We are given a glimpse of how life is meant to be and how it is going to be in the kingdom of God. We realise that this is all going to happen because God came to us in the person of Jesus Christ to begin the work and to show us how it will be. While now, we see how things are, we know they will not always be so. When we struggle with illness, we see that one day we will no longer have to. When we see injustice, unfairness, poverty, disease, and despair, we know that thanks to what God has done, they too will end. It is for what God has done, and will do, that we give thanks for. It is our knowing that a better way is coming that we give thanks for. So, I look at this world and give thanks in our current situation that this too shall pass; all will be well. May you be able to do likewise.