Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, ‘I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, May 24, 2023
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Once again we have a powerful testament to God’s inclusivity. It reminds me of the scene in Forrest Gump when someone asks Forrest, “Have you found Jesus?” and Forest says, “I didn’t know he was lost.” I’ve had those people in my life who want to know how I know I’m “saved,” or who insist that unless someone makes the specific step of “accepting Jesus as their personal lord and savior” they’re destined for hell. Honey, God is way bigger than that. And both more obvious and more subtle at the same time. God shows up in the lives of people who’ve never even heard the name Jesus, in the lives of people who have zero theological understanding of who Jesus is, in the lives of people who think they know everything about Jesus and have roundly rejected him. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (and my face is already quite blue, thank you very much): God’s love cannot be limited. Not even to those who believe in God.
I have had plenty of dark nights of the soul. Plenty of existential crises. Plenty of moments when I’ve looked honestly at the state of the world and thought, “There is no God.” Guess what? God keep showing up in my life in incredible ways. Like Forrest says: Jesus isn’t lost. He’s the one looking for me.
What do I believe about whether God is active in the lives of non-believers?
