Taking a cue from popular blogging practice, I hereby point you to this interesting news story:
Piece of Supreme Court marble falls near tourists – Nov 28, 2006 – USA Today
Apparently many of us who believe that the Universe and our lives are less than random occurrences have already been blogging up a storm about this one. (see the Washington Post’s version of the story). To those who see a “divine conspiracy theory” in every action that leads to only one conclusion I’d like to offer a few observations and/or opinions:
- When God speaks, whether by word or deed, He speaks volumes succinctly (not exactly my forté). What I mean by that is that multiple interpretations of God’s words and actions can be true simultaneously. It’s not a zero-sum game whereby my conclusion being true means that yours is false or vice versa. It’s one of the reasons we need each other; because God gives us different perspectives so that we can learn more from each other and be drawn together. Prophetic and intellectual competition is not the name of the game, seeking God’s vast Kingdom and His Righteousness is.
- Signs given by God are not always required to be His “final word” on something. If something bad happens, it does not necessarily mean that God has turned His back on a person, place or group forever. Assuming that it is God at work, signs are often calls for God’s people to act in a specific situation and to bring the Kingdom of God into it, whether by prayer or worship or specific acts of mercy, healing, teaching, giving, etc. When we come to a conclusion and do nothing in response to a sign, that’s almost assuredly not the Lord’s desired response. He always desires mature partnership with His people in the affairs of this world.
- The laws of sowing and reaping are also often at play in certain signs. God can and does, I believe, supersede the actions of sowing and reaping at times…usually for our good! If we always reaped exactly what we sowed, we’d have been burnt toast as a species a long time ago! We are constantly in the short and sometimes generationally loooonnnnggg cycles of sowing and reaping. This is not some sort of deist “great clock-maker” sort of philosophy or theology, this is more like a loving Creator who understands best how to live, love and celebrate the life He gave us and has therefore established consequences to guide us and help us learn how to live, love and celebrate life as well.
- It’s not always God at work on the surface but God has, does and will use even Satan’s activities to ensure that His Kingdom comes and His will is done here on this little celestial ping pong ball, as it is in the vast heavenlies. Satan thinks he’s got some measure of control to exert his malevolent will, but God is actually the one in charge here!
So, with that in mind, I will give my interpretation of this little incident of crumbling marble. It was a piece of “moulding” that fell off and struck the figure “Authority” and the inscription “Equal Justice Under Law” at the Supreme Court building. To me it was God tapping His finger on those two things with respect to the country and to the Supreme Court, and saying, “Church, you all need to address these two issues in your intercession and your action…and now is the time to do it.”
We know from our own lives that God doesn’t put His finger on every thing that isn’t perfect all at once. If it were so, we’d be crushed in a split-second. Rather He points out the issues that He wants to be dealt with now and other things will be pointed out when the time is right (or in the “fullness of time” to use more biblical terminology).
So, now perhaps is the “fullness of time” for issues of Authority and Justice in the United States to be aligned under the King of Kings and the great Judge of all. So, in remembering that our battle is not against flesh and blood, are we ready to take some marching orders from the Supreme Commander?