Our Tuesday Bible Study class is making its way through the various ‘minor’ Prophets that finish up the Old Testament. We are studying Amos, and how God speaks through the prophet telling the people of a coming famine, but not just any famine. This hunger will be for “…the words of the Lord.” (Amos 8:11) People will seek the words – they will run back and forth – but will be unable to find that which nourishes their souls.

Having that as a key part of the text, we asked ourselves, ‘What do we think people desire to hear when they are seeking a word from God?’ The responses were profound (and I will not take credit for any of this). It was shared that people want to have an awareness of self – how they stand with God…how they can find more meaning in pursuing the things of God. And it is believed that people need to know the enormous love of God. Again, I only have praise for what was shared. But it has made me think…

As St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church, we are called to be the good news of Jesus Christ to our neighbors, our friends, even our enemies. So the question comes back to us:  Are we – individually and collectively – moving toward a better understanding of who we are in Jesus Christ? Are we moving in the direction of knowing the enormous love of God found in Jesus Christ? And is that a love we share in our actions, in our work, in our spare time, our ‘break room’ time? When people seek a word from God, what will they hear from us?

We follow a resurrected Jesus, who gives us victory over the famines that cause us to wonder, ‘how do I fit in this world?’, and ‘does God really care about me?’ May we be the people – may this be the place – where others can turn, knowing that God’s word, and God’s great plan of salvation are spoken and lived out in ways that bring an end to the famine inside the human heart. God bless you…with special thanks to our Tuesday afternoon group.