The Last Of The Lost

Psalm 51:10 – Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. (NRSV)

At the dawn of the new day, I am awakened to the chirping of birds. Crickets are still loudly sending their nightly messages. These sounds remind me of our loving God, the God who created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them — thousands of species of every imaginable and unimaginable life, to fill the earth and sky, with every purpose under the sun.

A deep silence falls upon my immediate surroundings, without the chirping of the birds. The crickets turn off their symphony of the night, crawling into hiding, and it is time to hear the silence.

I begin to think about the human species, creating a symphony of our own. We crawl out to make our noise, and we play our instruments harmoniously or dysfunctionally, rhythmically or in an untimely way. As our lives wear on, what are we leaving behind — a song or a cry, something worthwhile or unworthy? "What can be said about me?" — I find myself wondering. It is often difficult to see oneself with self-worth.

And what about God? God so loved the world… . Does that mean that God loves us unconditionally? Can we do whatever and still be loved by God?

A deeper look reveals that we fall short of the glory of God's love. To know God means to face the truth about ourselves. "God, be merciful to me a sinner…" is of God, the opening notes of a symphony of timely expression and the harmonious reopening of a new song of life — day and night.

Prayer: God of pardon, we are the prodigal of our own creating. Create in us a new and right spirit! Gather the last of the lost into Your arms and into the household of Your love, through Christ Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.