Scripture
Jeremiah 1:5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Psalm 139: 13 - 14
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”
Reflection
I have been wondering about this scripture from Psalm 139, where the Psalmist speaks about being fearfully and wonderfully made. I might be able to understand the fearful part, as that has been a big part of my life (yet, I know that I have completely misinterpreted that part of the scripture), but to consider myself wonderfully made, that can be a huge challenge. I grew up in a time and place where to think of oneself as wonderfully made have been seen as being prideful and one can’t be prideful. I actually remember hearing the words, “don’t think so highly of yourself.” And if I am being honest there are many days when I struggle to just be okay, let alone see myself as being wonderfully made. This world can be overwhelming for so many people and then you add into that mix all of the personal challenges that so many are dealing with, it is amazing that some of us can think anything positive about ourselves. And yet there is something amazing about this scripture passage.
To be fearfully made is not to be filled with fear as we understand it, or to be afraid, but it is something completely different. The word that has been translated as ‘fear’ is actually more accurately translated as sacred, awe, or awe inspired. This scripture is the recognition that we are created as sacred creations, each of us created as unique awe-inspiring persons. It is a call for us to recognize the beauty of our individual natures, as we were created to be. It is a challenge for us to see the gifts that we have been given, each different, each unique, each with a purpose in our own lives. To be fearfully made is to be made as a sacred being, right now, as we are, not as someone else says that we have to be.
One of the greatest challenges, I believe, that we face in our world today is that we don’t see others are fearfully and wonderfully made. Quite often the world sees whole segments of the population as ‘less than.’ When we begin to see others as ‘less than’ it becomes very easy for us to ignore the sacredness of their being and see them as, almost, less than human. It then becomes easier for us to cast all blame onto the vilified, marginalized, group. I was asked a number of years ago, after Russia had instituted a number of LGBTQ laws, what I thought was happening. I responded, “it is politicians playing the game.” They didn’t understand what I meant by that comment. I explain that a politician who is facing many great challenges will take a marginalized group and tell the population that this group it the group that is destroying the fabric of their society. In doing so all of that anger, hatred, and frustration, about what is happening is not focused on that identifiable group, rather than on the politicians who might actually be causing the problems, as was with the corruption in Russia. Politicians do this all the time and in doing so they dehumanize whole segments of the population, so that in the eyes of many then are not fearfully and wonderfully made, they are less than the rest of society and as such they don’t deserve to be treated as others are treated.
It is our challenge as Christians, as followers, to not only recognize the sacredness of our own being, but to also recognize the sacredness of others as well. To see others as sacred, fearfully, and wonderfully made individuals, allows us the opportunity to journey with them on their journeys, rather than conforming them to who we believe that they should be. I read a reflection the other day that speaks to honouring the sacredness of another, especially in times of challenge, “In our darkest moments, we don’t need solutions or advice. We simply crave touch, a silent presence—these are the anchors that ground us when life’s storms rage. Don’t try to fix me. Don’t carry my burden or chase away my shadows. Instead, be the steady hand I can hold as I navigate my inner landscape. Sit with me in the quiet, bearing witness to my struggle without trying to change it. My pain is my own to feel, my battles my own to fight. But your presence reminds me I’m not alone in this vast, sometimes terrifying world. It whispers that I’m worthy of love, even in my brokenness. So when the night seems endless and I lose my way, will you simply be there? Not as a saviour, but as a companion. Hold my hand until dawn breaks and I find my strength again. You silent support is the greatest gift you can offer. It’s the love that helps me remember who I am, even when I’ve forgotten.” To recognize the sacredness of each and everyone of us, is to honour each of us as a wonderfully created individual and also reminds us to know this is to understand that each of us is on our own journey, we are companions along the way. To respect the whole of who someone is, is to also respect their struggles and challenges. When we see ourselves, and others, as fearfully and wonderfully made, we might just come to see that our presence with them, and their presence with us, is a gift of sacred presence. If only the whole world could understand this, I wonder what our future might be?
Prayer
God of Sacred Presence, we ask that you help us to see ourselves and others as sacred creations of your love. Give us the wisdom to not work to transform others into our image, but rather to help them see their own sacredness and worth. Open our hearts so that we might journey with others, being a silent presence in the midst of trouble, a support when their strength wanes, while knowing that their journey is their’s and their’s alone. We ask this in the name of Love Incarnate, your presence with us, Jesus. Amen.
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