Hide and Seek
In the time before bank vaults, safe deposit boxes and offshore accounts, people were known to hide their valuables from the threat of theft by burying them in the ground. Today it is much more common for people to bury their guilt, their shame and the proverbial skeletons in their closets, than it is to bury valuables. Sometimes it is because these things carry such power over us that we can't fathom how to face them. Other times it is because we are desperate to keep other people from finding out lest they belittle and shun us. In this morning's sermon Fr. Garrett points out that God seeks out people who have things to hide or who have been cast out by their community. And the good news is that when we are found we do not experience a withering blast of judgment fire, but instead the invitation to walk a pathway towards reconciliation and healing through unconditional love. These are worth coming out of hiding for, worth presenting our whole selves to God for in order to be freed into new life.