Remain Faithful

29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C

Exodus 17: 8-13; 

2 Timothy 3: 14-4: 2; 

Luke 18: 1-8

Jesus' message in the parable we hear today is clear. Pray constantly. Pray unceasingly. Pray always and God will answer the call.

And so I do. I pray that the community of St Francis will take a leading role in building up the kingdom. I pray that our city will find peaceful and just solutions in dealing with problems that we face everyday. I pray that our nation will be able to unite together as we encounter the tough challenges that lie ahead. I pray that our world will forsake war and persecution and embrace the ideals of respect, friendship and tolerance for everyone.

But our world doesn't seem to be improving, does it? I look around and everything seems to be falling apart. People are more self-centered than ever. They will say anything – and I do mean anything – to get attention. Social media has made it possible for anyone to say whatever thought pops into their head without giving second thought to the sensibilities of those who would read their words. Our police force appears to be at war with men of color. It would seem that justice and peace are not as color blind as I had hoped. In our legislature, we have two competing parties who are more interested in their side winning at all costs then in compromised solutions.

Just look at the two people we have running for president. We are less than a month from the election, and yet I see only a handful of campaign signs for our nation's highest office. It's as if people are ashamed to admit who they will vote for this term. I'm convinced that if anyone goes to the polls in November, it will be because the only thing worse that if one candidate wins, it would be if the other one gets in instead.

War and terrorism are thriving. “Love thy neighbor” has been replaced by fear and intolerance. Meanwhile the gap between the “haves” and the “have nots” grows ever wider ...

Why is their so much fear and hatred in the world? And why is God not answering my prayers?

The whole point of Jesus' parable about the corrupt judge and the badgering widow was to illustrate how quickly God listens to and answers our prayers. But when I look outside the doors of this church, and reality comes flooding back, I wonder why God is not listening to me. Am I not righteous? Am I not one of his chosen ones?

It's almost enough to make me lose faith. My faith in God is wavering and my faith in humanity is decimated.

And yet, it is faith that will guide us through these situations. It is faith that holds our hands and encourages us when all else fails.

St. Paul says it best, “Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed … because the sacred scriptures are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.” (2 Timothy 3: 14-15)

Faith is not predicated upon God's answering our prayers the way we want. If it is, then we had no true faith to begin with. Faith in God is knowing that His plan for each of us is in place – even if we cannot see it – even if we don't understand it. Faith in humanity is believing that we, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, will find a way to overcome the challenges in our world.

The world is not that different than it was in Jesus' time. Science and technology have improved. Communication is easier, but the true problems of His world still persist. There has always been war and oppression. There has always been disease and pestilence. There has always been poverty and hunger. These are not problems unique to our time. Our elders often speak of the “good ol' days” but these problems were their problems too.

My friends, faith is the answer. Faith will sustain us. Faith will lead us and nurture is through these difficult times. We need to foster our faith in God and renew our faith in humanity. We need to act according to our faith. To quote Paul again, we must “be persistent, whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.”(2 Timothy 4: 2)

I haven't given up hope. I haven't stopped praying for the things I mentioned earlier. But I have a new prayer to accompany them – a prayer for stronger faith for myself and for all those who's faith may be faltering.

Deacon Darryl Diemer
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 16, 2016