Paul did a wonderful job reading the creation story from Genesis last Sunday. As he said, “This is poetry!” And I shared a tale about God teaching humankind what it means to be partners. When the angels ask God if Creation is “all done,” God replies, “I don’t know. Go ask my partners.” That means us.
We are partners with one another and with God. Theologian Matthew Fox coined the term “co-creators,” engaged in work that is not yet finished. We may argue about how it all began, but it continues endlessly and we are a part of it. The story says God is depends on us, just as surely as we depend on God. We may disagree with one another along the way about the “how” certain things should get done – large or small. We may squabble – a lot – as a nation, a community, a congregation. But we are still always partners. We can’t disagree on the “why;” that is that we are called by God, by our very creation, with the divine image imprinted on us, to create a better world, to lift up, to heal brokenness. The same idea is echoed in the words of the Great Commission attributed to Jesus (Mt 28:16-20). When Jesus is leaving forever, he does the last thing he can possibly do. He makes his friends partners in his work of sharing God’s unconditional love and grace. Be my partners, he says, and I will be with you always. The truth is, throughout the gospels, Jesus is making partners. Then in the last scene, of the last act, he does it again, once and for all. Deep peace be with you, partners.
Pastor Carol
