February 9, 2025
SEND ME – BUT WAIT!
This vision from God must have been quite frightening for Isaiah. Remember, in Hebrew times it was forbidden to look upon the face of God; it was even forbidden to mention God’s name, for it was too sacred to be mentioned on the lips of mere mortals.
Not only did Isaiah perceive that he was facing his sin in this vision, he also had to face the vision of the angels hovering and praising God, and face what he thought was going to be horrible punishment. The thinking in much of the Hebrew Scriptures is if bad, punished; if good, rewarded. Isaiah immediately perceived the situation as if he were being punished. Instead, an angel touched his mouth with a coal from the altar, and literally burned his sin away.
From this point forward the entire tone of the vision changes. Isaiah, who had formerly wanted to cringe in the sight of God and his angels, now volunteers to be sent forth as a messenger of God. The voice of God asks. “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Isaiah answers, “Here am I; send me!”
I would submit to you that if any one of us would have that vision today, we would not be standing up and volunteering to go – especially in light of what follows next. God essentially tells Isaiah. “You can go for me, but the people won’t see what you are trying to point out to them, won’t hear the words that you are speaking, and won’t listen to you. In fact, they are simply going to ignore you. But go anyway.”
In today’s culture, if we are asked to do something, but are then advised regarding how difficult the task might be, most of us will not go. Sure, there are a few who will think to themselves, “I know I won’t make it right away, but God will be with me and will help me.” My hunch is that the majority would say, “Are you nuts? Why would I want to subject myself to that much frustration and embarrassment? Not to mention what it will do to my self-esteem!”
I am convinced that the majority of people today make decisions based on a fear of what might go wrong, instead of foraging forward and trying to create something that will work right. Nothing works the first time. There are many miracles and inventions in this world created out of a mistake. Post-it Notes were discovered when a researcher was working to develop a particular kind of glue and his formula just wasn’t working right.
That type of negative thinking comes from the glass analogy of half full or half empty. Interestingly, when research was done it was discovered that once a person perceives something as being a negative, it is very difficult to change our way of thinking into making it a positive. It’s either a loss frame or a gain frame; a glass half empty or a glass half full.
One experiment told half of the individuals that surgery would be 70% effective; the other half were told that it in some cases it would be 30% ineffective. The gain group viewed the surgery as positive while the loss group viewed the surgery as negative. Then the information to the groups was switched. The loss group still viewed it as ineffective even though they were told that it would be 70% effective. The upshot of all of this is that once we view something through the lens of half empty or the loss frame, it is very difficult to change our way of thinking even though the evidence is there.
Somehow, in addition to our point of view, we have never fully realized that we learn from our mistakes. If we have no vision, we will never create one. Is it hard to forge forward when we have the feeling that we are the only ones who see the vision? Yes. Can it be discouraging? Yes. But we must be confident in what we are trying to do, not to mention that if we are doing what God has intended us to do, we will ultimately be led to success.
Martin Luther King, Jr. had a vision of racial justice. When I think of how he talked about responsibility and equality, and then I see the entitlement attitudes of some who think that entitlement equates with equality, I cringe. But he never gave up his vision. Was he successful? Perhaps a lot more successful than others thought he would be, but a lot less successful than he dreamed he would be.
Isaiah knew what he was going to be up against – the unwillingness of the people to listen or change; the inability of the people to understand that God’s way was best for them. He went anyway.
Martin Luther King, Jr. knew what he was up against – the fire hoses of Selma, Alabama; the racial segregation in the schools; the unwillingness of people in this country to treat people of color with dignity and respect. He went anyway.
The way of change is not a way blocked by fear. It is a way that calls for courage and persistence. The way of success is not achieved by an attitude of “I’ll go – but wait – look at the obstacles! It is a way that calls for a creative thinking that turns obstacles into stepping-stones.
I must confess that I am afraid for the way this country is headed. That fear comes from a realization that we have too many people in power who not only refuse to do the right thing, but are choosing to make decisions that harm people. Some are afraid to stand up and say ‘enough.’ Some are afraid of political repercussions regarding their ability to get re-elected. Some, if truth be told, are afraid of the current President. Some are afraid of others in their party who might think less of them. And some don’t want to leave a position that has made them monetarily richer. The reality, if we are willing to come face to face with it, is that all federal politicians, members of the armed services, and members of the judicial branch take the oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and to defend it from all enemies foreign and domestic. A part of that is standing up to unethical, unconstitutional and immoral decisions.
While people certainly have the right to approach an issue from different aspects, there are always certain underlying principles or laws that should not be violated. If we are afraid to uphold those laws, refuse to act under the oaths, statutes, or laws that govern us, then anarchy will follow. What will be afraid of then? Who will we blame then?
As these decisions begin to negatively impact those around us, we will be faced with having to decide what actions we are willing to take. Standing back and letting people suffer is not the Christian way. We will continue to be challenged in the months ahead to do what we can to help those who need our help. This may call for creative, courageous thinking. We may not succeed. But at least we will have tried.
Ultimately, God’s way is a way that moves us forward through our fears to better tomorrows. But God’s way is always a way that takes into consideration our fellow human beings. Had Jesus not done that, we would have a very different image of Christianity today then we do, if any.
God’s voice is a voice that calls us to move forward in the knowledge that God will always be with us. God’s strength comes to us in an abiding presence that will not leave us. Ultimately, it will always be God’s way that conquers in spite of the blockades erected by those who fail to listen, to see, to think out of the box, or to try to understand God’s way.
God warns us as God warned Isaiah in his dream, but God also assures us that through the power and presence of God’s Spirit, God’s way will ultimately prevail, but it is we who are called to see that that happens. Amen.
