Our Licensed Lay Minister Elizabeth O'Connor has been supplying short meditations each week, available on our Downloads page.

This week's version:

2020-09-14

Trust

Trust is something that is fundamental in how we live our lives. It is part of the relationships that we build around us, with friends and family. On a wider scale, we are asked to trust those who seek election as leaders, specialists in different areas of expertise, not to mention those we work with. Yes we can question them about their views, actions and decisions to see the justification and basis for them. No-one is perfect after all. When that trust is broken it is painful and difficult. We can find it hard to understand and trust that person again: the ‘once bitten twice shy idea.’ Not to mention the need for forgiveness which can be on both sides. We can see it in adverts or promotions for certain goods too. When they fail to live up to the hype then we are more reluctant to trust that make again. Let’s face it, nothing is straightforward in this life. It seems to get more complicated and complex.

Yet we as Christians are called to trust in a God we cannot physically see, whose world has much suffering and abuse of power in one form or another, where there is injustice and unfairness, selfishness and greed. We see it throughout the ages. What we can trust in though, is the love and presence of God throughout. Jesus the son of God, who lived, died and rose again said “I am with you always to the very end of the age.” (Mathew 28) and “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.” (John 14.) We are called, in the words of the Creed said at Baptism, to ‘believe and trust.’ It may seem odd, strange or even bizarre but as we truly seek and listen, then, as we trust, we show and are part of the presence of God in the world.

O Christ,
Tirelessly you seek out those who are looking for you
and those who think that you are far away.
Teach us, at every moment,
to place our spirits in your hands.
While we are still looking for you,
already you have found us.
However poor our prayer,
You hear us far more than we imagine or believe.

Brother Roger of Taize

Lord
I cannot fathom or hold you;
I can only ask you
to take hold of me.
I cannot grasp or contain you
in a formula or tradition.
I can only ask you to fill me with yourself.
and make me part
of the mystery of your presence
in the world.