Foolishness

Of all the mornings to lie back down after my shower; I knew it was a bad idea but I did it anyway. Next I was awakened by my husband asking if I had the day off. NO! Then I had to make the phone call to my boss, “This is NOT an April Fool’s Joke. I am just now leaving the house when I am usually pulling into the parking lot at work!” When I finally got settled in my desk I glanced right away at the calendar. The calendar is designed to show three months at a time: the current month in the center, the past month at the top, and next month at the bottom. It’s all quite orderly and intentional. However, when I looked at the calendar this morning, March had been moved to the top, May was in the middle and June was at the bottom. There’s only one person who is as deliberate about changing calendars and I knew where to go for answers. “Well, with the kids gone I had no one to wake up saying ‘It’s snowing!’ so I had to spread my foolishness somewhere else!”

One of the books I have intended to read for several years is St. Francis and the Foolishness of God. I bought it, but I haven’t actually read it. Kind of like 100 other books on the shelf. There’s so much I want to read, and foolishly think I will, but you have to admit this title is catchy. Who could refuse? One doesn’t normally attach the adjective of foolish with God and it takes an entirely different mindset to even consider the question. God is wise, omnipotent, and powerful; not simple-minded and reckless. What would it mean to be foolish for God?

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, You honor child-like wonder, simple praise, and foolish acts of faith. It would be idiotic to resign a well-financed job to accept a volunteer position in the food pantry. It would be foolhardy to refuse favors until the rest of society was offered the same options. It would be ludicrous to forgo a vacation abroad to build houses in humid New Orleans. It would be comical to prepare an entire dinner only to ask your family to step aside for someone off the street. It would be preposterous to think that what we do makes a difference in the world. Let us be reckless, swift and faithful, relying on Your will to make sense of our abandonment of goals, treasures and careers. We know we are acting foolishly but have no recourse to act otherwise. You are wise, O Lord, and devoted to restoring peace. Living alongside your doctrines of justice anything less than reconciliation seems worthless. Teach us to care, to invite, and to anticipate moments of divine intervention, where we are to be instruments of your uncommon, unlikely, unfettered Grace. How foolish are we prepared to be in the discipline of loving our neighbors as ourselves? Let us be called fools for the love of You! Amen