Saturday, August 4, 2018

The Tenth Sunday after Trinity - 5 August 2018

 
My Friends,
 
'Earning Trust'

Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?
Matthew 13:54
 
I would imagine that all of us who pursued a profession heard words similar to these when we first came into our credentials and jobs. "YOU have a (degree, license, commission...) in (physics, medicine, the Air Force...)? You're just a kid!"
 
In time, particularly as our hair starts to grey or fall out, people accept us as professionals. But those first years can be a struggle as we try to gain both competence and credibility. It takes experience as well as credentials to become a true professional, and there are early struggles where even the best of us doubt ourselves, fearing that we'll never be competent.
 
How heartening to know that even Jesus struggled with this. Since he was truly human as well as divine, he must have suffered some self-doubt. Every human being does. He didn't work miracles in his hometown because of the people's unbelief. Was this because, like all of us, he, too, had to grow into his role?
 
Father Ed Bakker,
Priest & Missionary
Anglican Catholic Church / Original Province,
Mission of Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne,
Launceston
Tasmania
Australia



No comments: