Indicators

9/19/2016

Luke 2 34-35 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

When God moves, there are usually indicators along the way; Simeon was such an indicator. God’s indicators are usually actually seen by few; and downplayed by most as insignificant or explainable. Simeon got it; he was faithfully waiting for God’s movement in Israel, the land whose foundations he loved which had wandered so far from the Lord.

When we ‘norms’ watch for God, we need to be careful to really watch. Simeon, an ‘abnorm’, was an indicator, and he was also a watcher. God doesn’t usually move in a way that is noticed by all. Those who are watching for God will see. It was shepherds who saw the heavenly host – not the news media. The Messiah was born in Bethlehem – not a glitzy, glamorous metropolitan area. (When you think of Bethlehem, you need to think of Haines, or North Powder…)

Simeon was probably viewed as a kindly, but sort of kooky, old man. He was always hanging around the temple and thought he was some sort of prophet. You might say hello to him, but keep moving fast or he’ll corner you, and you won’t get away any time soon. But despite his ‘kooky’ exterior, Simeon heard from God, though few took him seriously. But the watchers knew.

And Mary was a watcher. She too had had her encounter with the divine; she knew something was up. So when kindly (kooky) old Simeon came up to her and started, with tears, to say what he said, Mary got it. And Mary knew right then, a sword had pierced her own soul. She knew.

To watch for God, one has to have a tremendous hunger and thirst for God; not everyone does. God will be sought by those who mean business. And God knows who they are. I think we tend to shy away from them at church. I think we tend to think they’re a bit kooky. (Sometimes we even view them as a bit spooky.) But what is missed and really only meant to be seen by God, is their faithful heart for Him.

Those who hunger and thirst for God may be weepy. They may be passively intense. They may concern us or even rattle us a bit. But it is their heart for the Lord that seems to repel most. They may seem too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good. But oh, how we need them. And we all need to be more like them: kooky, spooky, weepy, and hungering and thirsting for God.

The true seeker is rather rare which is ironic, because we’re all called to be true seekers. But most of us are cluelessly concerned with the cares of this world. We might be good people or even noble, but we think more about life on the rock rather than the Rock that is higher than we. Not an indictment, just a reality. Being a Simeon is harder than we think (for us.) But to be a Simeon is a calling that few ever even know. Being called of God to be an indicator, a watcher, a true seeker is a bitter calling that opens the doors of Heaven and allows God’s perfect light to shine in… (misunderstood mostly…)

Father, Your greatest calling is for someone, or someones, to look for You. We’re all called to do it, but few of us ever take the time. Help me to be better at it only because someone has to be an indicator, and someone needs to be watching. Like Simeon, somebody needs to point the way for the rest of us who are so concerned about other things. Help me God. Amen.