Holy Purpose

The Christmas story as told by the gospel writer Luke reminds us that God uses the most unusual folks to accomplish His purposes.   Luke 2 begins with the Words, "In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered...All went to their own towns to be registered.  Joseph also went...to Bethlehem."  (Luke 2:1-4)  Of course, this was not the first time some ungodly character had a place on center stage of some holy production.  Augustus certainly had no interest in doing the bidding of God, but his desires did not matter in the hands of an Almighty God who was orchestrating history.     

It often seems that our view of what is happening is a narrow view.  It is one which is framed by our political bias, the end goal we have in view, and what seems to fit best within the logic which has shaped our life.  The narrow view gives God no room to act and use for His purposes people who do not meet our approval.  The narrow view does not allow for the possibility that we may be missing something because we are, after all, right.    

One of the things which seems lost on our culture in these days of such political divisiveness is the possibility that God has been at work through circumstances and people we would not have chosen, or that we would choose.  Actually, most of us figure that the political mess created by our unwillingness to listen with open ears and heart is beyond the realm of God's ability to do anything.   Despite all that is happening around us, God has not left the room.  He is not a disinterested third party.  And, He is working with whatever and whoever to move us toward, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10)