By Zoe Cannon
Gratitude for the Gift of Faith
“Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32).
The doctrine of the Trinity is fundamental to our profession of faith. God the Father is the unseen person of the Trinity. There are visual images of the Incarnate Jesus portrayed in his life, death and resurrection. If you see the father, you see the son. The manifestation of the Holy Spirit was revealed to the world on Pentecost, the birthday of the Church. We believe the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are consubstantial and share one divine nature.
Pride may prevent us from understanding the mystery of God, just as the disobedience of Adam and Eve enabled a poverty of powerlessness to humankind. The richness of truth is opened into the world by our humility and our willingness to share God’s love with others.
The authentic meaning of life is found in relationship with the Triune God. Words alone cannot describe his love for us. Even in times of sin, failure and despair, God continually works in our lives. The world may distract us from his presence, but he is always with us. “He has told you, mortal one, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8).
Condemnation spills over to others because, without mercy, judgment and anger come. “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you” (Luke 6:36-38). In other words, we get what we give, and hopefully, that is a blessing!
I discovered a man sitting in front of a Salvation Army building on a hot summer day. This elderly man was nearly blind from cataracts. He was distraught because his request for bus fare to Fort Pierce, Florida, had been denied. He was hired to pick watermelons in the area, and when the work was finished, his ride back to Florida left him behind. The driver had taken his belongings and cash. Llyod had been sleeping under a bridge bypass for three days. His attempts to get help were challenging because he had no identification.
The details in getting Llyod home make a very long story. It was an all-day event, but by 4:30 p.m., Llyod was on a bus with clean clothes, shoes that fit and food for the 21-hour journey home. Despite a lot of rejection, I knew divine providence was at work. People thought my reaction to Llyod and his sad story was a bit gullible. The circumstances behind Llyod missing his ride or losing his belongings might have been distorted. It did not matter how he got into the situation, he was going home! We prayed for safe travel, and as he waved out the window, he called me an angel of mercy as the bus drove away. I will never forget that smile!
God becomes visible to us through the eyes of those seeking his mercy, whether they are aware of it or not. God’s love and our response make the world a better place, and his mercy endures forever! Amen!