Day 1:
In the "fog" God opens the eyes of my heart
For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. (1 Corinthians 13:12).
“Jackie Opel is dead.”
The words in chalk on the concrete guard rail captivated my attention. I was vaguely aware of who Jackie Opel was, and in my child’s brain I understood that news of his death held meaning. But at my age, and with my limited exposure, I didn’t have enough context to fully grasp the news in light of the Barbadian singer’s popularity, and his significance as a Caribbean cultural icon.
I can think of a few other times in my life when I needed future context to fully grasp and appreciate a significant message. I have seen over and over again that hindsight really does improve vision and clarity. Sometimes as with my childhood experience , we simply don’t have all we need to process a message fully. Sometimes, we are limited by our frame of reference; other times by our emotions, and yet other times, by perspective.
The bible is full of examples of people, who, like us and those around us, have had trouble receiving or processing important messages. People who experienced some of the mental emotional, and intellectual struggles familiar to us—confusion and disorientation, bitterness, grief, dullness and spiritual blindness.
The young child Samuel was completely disoriented by the mysterious call he had heard in the night. Confused, "he ran to Eli and said, 'Here I am; you called me.' But Eli said, 'I did not call; go back and lie down.' So he went and lay down" (1 Samuel 3:5).
The desolate widow Naomi, consumed by loss and bitterness, could not receive the welcome and attention of her townspeople, who were “stirred” by her return from a foreign country with her daughter-in-law, Ruth. She could only hear the messages of hurt and anguish in her soul.
“Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me” (Ruth 1:20-22).
The sisters, Mary and Martha, were too overcome by grief over their brother’s death to process Jesus’ message of hope. Even as she declared her belief, Martha struggled to fully comprehend Jesus’ assurance, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25-26).
And as for the disciples, time and time again, they demonstrated an inability to grasp significance in the moment—Peter, James and John at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9), the two disciples walking to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-27), and later the others gathered in a locked room (Luke 24: 36-38).
Sometimes Jesus responded wistfully, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time” (John 14:9)? Other times, He simply acknowledged the barriers, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (John 16:12).
Always He was patient, knowing that His plans and His timing would bring the clarity, the context, the perspective. But this is how God has always worked. He was still there when Samuel finally grasped the message that God was calling him into service. It took coaching from Eli who, from his vantage point of age and experience explained to the young boy how to respond to the voice in the night (1 Samuel 3: 9-10).
God was still there when Naomi finally grasped the message that even at the lowest point all is not lost; she found renewed hope and purpose in a baby to love and care for (Ruth 4:4-16).
God was still there when Martha finally grasped the message that Jesus truly is the resurrection and the life; He raised her brother from the dead (John 11:43-44).
God was still there when the disciples finally grasped the message that Jesus, the Son of God had walked among them, had died, and had risen from the dead! Then [Jesus] opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations" (Luke 24:45-47).
For us too, God is there through the confusion, the doubt, the bitterness, the grief, even the spiritual blindness that veils our hearts and limits our perspective. He is there in all the relationship graveyards—where cries for forgiveness, understanding, restoration, love, attention, or security bounce off the message barriers and fall into mounds of grief, confusion, bitterness, and anger. With time, as we lean into His love, and patience, we too, may understand, and be understood.
By the way, I finally gained context for the chalk message, "Jackie Opel is dead." He was a beloved music icon, but he remains dead.
The disciples brought a much more significant message, "Jesus, the Son of God, died, but He rose from the dead." And for all who lack context and clarity, Jesus still has the power to open minds.
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