Thought for Today

Genesis 31:49 "The LORD watch between you and me, when we are absent one from the other.

Micah 6:8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?  

Matthew 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father . . .31 So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.  

This past Sunday we talked about Jesus’ words from Matthew chapter 10 about sparrows and about God’s watching over us all. We sang the hymn God’s Eye Is on the Sparrow. It’s not a new hymn; it was written in 1905. It is not, however, a hymn I remember ever having sung before I came to First Parish Church in Newbury. That hymn does not appear in the Presbyterian hymnal we used for so long in Houston. It is not in the hymnal used by the very first church we served here in New England.

This morning, that hymn is an earworm echoing in my mind, especially the refrain, “I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free, God’s eye is on the sparrow, and I know God watches me.” Do you find comfort from the sure and certain knowledge that God is watching you each and every second of each and every day? Is it reassuring that God sees your every action, hears your every word, even knows your every thought? I noted Sunday in my sermon that for me, the real message in  Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:29 is that there is nothing in all of Creation too insignificant to warrant God’s love, attention and affection.

Three different times in the passage from Matthew we looked at Sunday, Jesus tells his disciples and us not to be afraid. Jesus often offers the same message elsewhere in scripture. We are not to be afraid. In our modern world, I find great comfort in Jesus’ words about not being afraid. There is truly a lot of very scary ‘stuff’ out there.

This morning, however, as I listen to that earworm, as I hum the tune and at least silently sing because I am happy, I realize that there is another side to the fact that God’s eye is on that sparrow and that I know God watches me. I am confronted with the realization, with the cold, hard truth that God sees my every action, hears my every spoken word, knows my every thought.

Earlier in that passage in Matthew, Jesus also says, “26 nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.” Knowing that I cannot hide anything from God is a bit disconcerting. It’s not that I have any deep, dark, nefarious deeds to hide. But, do I always think, say and do what God requires of me? Am  I always diligent to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God? Always!?!

Despite having read George Orwell’s book 1984 many years ago, despite having studied the history of authoritarian regimes everywhere, including the various incarnations of secret police, encouraged reporting of the disloyal words and actions of parents and neighbors, ignoring all the evidence in history and all around me, I sometimes think I can hide things. That I can even hide things from God.

Orwell wrote his book in 1949. If you haven’t read it, you should. “Thematically, it centres on totalitarianism, mass surveillance and repressive regimentation of people and behaviours.” (en.wikipedia.org) Long before our era of personal computers and smartphones and in the early days of television, Orwell foresaw the potential for controlling not just behaviors but also thoughts. The book only becomes more chilling as our technology advances. One of the prime devices Orwell imagined is a 2-way television screen in every room. I first read the book in the late 1950s. During the Nixon administration, I remember reading about proposed legislation that would mandate that every home, apartment of dwelling have a “national emergency monitor.” So far, that bullet has been dodged.

Good as we are about revealing ‘secrets’ in our #metoo era, in the aftermath of the Epstein files, there are probably still some things kept secret. But, nothing can be kept secret from our Creator God. If we live our lives focused on what God does require of us (Micah 6:8), that is comforting as are the words of that hymn. But, if we do not?

Stay safe, listen to Jesus and continue in Jesus’ word (John 8:31), trust God,

Pastor Ray