UNITING
THIS week’s readings see us reach the end of Job’s story, where he makes a statement of confession before God.
He says: “I admit, I once lived only by rumours of you.
“Now I have it all firsthand – from my own eyes and ears.”
This is a lightbulb moment for Job, an epiphany.
It changes how he lives the rest of his life.
What is it like to live by rumour?
Do we live our faith through rumour?
By definition, a rumour is ‘a currently circulating story or report of uncertain or doubtful truth; information circulated as unverified truth.’
We live in an era of fake news, Wikileaks, advertising, innuendo and rumour.
Sometimes the truth can be hard to discern.
Our current pandemic has highlighted the strength of rumour within society and the fear that it can drive.
So, what does it mean when Job says that he has lived only by rumours of God?
In other translations it reads that Job had heard with his ears, but now he sees with his eyes.
Rumour encourages us to see before we believe.
How often do we hear this phrase?
There is a sense of doubt and uncertainty that can lead people to create safety or certainty from their own understanding.
Living by rumours of God is a personal wilderness.
It means living with an undercurrent of uncertainty and being swayed to find the peace and assurance that we long for in other ways.
These ways can include wealth, a sense of success, and doing the right thing, but none of these truly provide fulfillment.
So, when do we know something to be true?
We can look at evidence and search for facts, but there is a deeper sense of knowing when it comes to relationships.
When we hold something to be true, we are not only looking for the indisputable, but are aware of what sits with our values and where our peace and assurance comes from.
As followers of Christ, we testify through how we live our lives, the values we express, sharing our story and how we respond to people and situations.
We gather to worship, not to be seen to be doing the right thing, but to acknowledge, praise and thank God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit who awakens our spirit to the truth of love, grace and forgiveness.
There are no submissions from The Grain Shed or Anglican churches this week.
