WHAT I THOUGHT I KNEW
Lamentations 3: 1-24
Psalm 91: 1-16

           Just before I left for my trip, someone asked me if I would preach or talk about my experiences the weekend after I returned. My initial response was non-committal; it wasn’t that I didn’t want to share my experiences with you, I, frankly, didn’t know if I would have enough time to think through things enough in order to be able to adequately speak or preach about all that I encountered. Let me tell you…21 hours on an airplane gives you lots of time to think! As I did some initial “processing” of my trip, one word kept rolling around my head and my soul—faithfulness; more specifically, God’s faithfulness. As I looked back over two weeks in Africa, the best I can come up with right now is faithfulness.

           I will confess that, at first, I was quite resistant to this being the topic of my first sermon back. I wanted something a bit more dramatic, perhaps more life-impacting. I wanted something that was new or exotic. I’ve preached God’s faithfulness on countless occasions, either as the main focus of a sermon or as a sub-plot. I thought that I had a grasp on this concept. I thought I knew about how faithful God was/is/will be…then I went to Liberia. While I was there, I came face to face with the reality of God’s faithfulness in ways that were dramatic and life-impacting.

           I wish I had time to tell you all the stories. I’m sure that, over time, you will get to hear most of them. However, there are a few stories that stand out above the rest as testaments to the faithfulness of God that I, and my colleagues, experienced on the shores of Africa.

           The first story I want to share with you is that of a man named Jerry. During Liberia’s civil crisis, Jerry was arrested and imprisoned. His arrest was not because of anything he had done, but because he looked and sounded like he was from a different part of the country than the rebels who had arrested him. One day, Jerry and those who were imprisoned with him were herded into a small room. One by one, these people were executed. Jerry was the last one standing and was staring down the barrel of the gun that would end his life. All of a sudden, the door to the room opened. Someone entered, said a few words to the “executioner”, and Jerry was told to go home. He had no idea who this person was, but they had saved his life. I’m sure there are stories like this throughout Liberia, but what makes Jerry’s story such an example of God’s faithfulness is who Jerry is. You see, Jerry was a pastor and is now a District Superintendent in the Liberia Annual Conference. He is one of the leaders of the UMC in Liberia. God’s faithfulness in that moment was not just to Jerry, but to the Church and to all of Liberia! God was sparing this man, so that he might serve and lead the Church in the future!

           I want to share with you the story of a broken-down van. Some of you have heard this story if you read the email updates. On our first full day in Liberia, we started on a journey from the capital city of Monrovia to Ganta Mission Station, located on the eastern border of Liberia. The distance between the two cities is roughly 130 miles. For us, if you factor in at least one stop, that’s about a 2 ½ hour drive. In Liberia, that’s about a 7 hour drive. About halfway through this journey, the driveshaft in our van broke. There we were, stranded on the “highway” in the middle of Liberia. We were obviously out of place…and did I mention that it was just about dark. I confess that I was more than a little nervous and scared. As we surveyed our surroundings, we noticed we had broken down right outside a small Lutheran church; unfortunately, the gate to the grounds was locked. After a few minutes, we saw a man walking down the road toward us. This man, Eric, introduced himself as the pastor of the church and invited us to come inside the compound and wait for our relief vehicles in safety—vehicles that were five hours in arriving. To stop the story there would be enough to demonstrate God’s faithfulness. The story doesn’t stop there though! We found out a bit later that where we had been stopped was one of the few places in that part of the country to have cell phone reception. Had we been stopped a few miles sooner or further, we would have had no way to contact anyone and who knows how long we would have been there; but God was looking over us and gave us a beautiful canopy of stars to remind us how big and awesome our God really is!

           I’m guessing that many of us have had moments where God’s faithfulness comes flooding into our minds. As I thought about this more a question popped into my mind: Why are we surprised when we encounter God’s faithfulness? Why are we amazed when God seems to do that which is impossible for humans to understand? God does it all the time! Scripture is saturated with stories of God’s faithfulness. Today, we encounter two of those instances. In our reading from Lamentations, we see the speaker describe themselves as completely devastated and blaming God for all that is wrong. It is almost as if the speaker makes God out to be some sort of cosmic bully that is interested only in harming them. In the next moment, though, the speaker remembers how good and faithful God had been previously and how God’s mercies and faithfulness are new each morning.

           Our reading from Psalm 91 is a reminder that those whose dwelling place is God will know of God’s faithfulness in spite of danger or turmoil around them. Those whom I met in Liberia testify to this passage. They spoke of praying simply to survive the night and some would wake up to find most of their village torched, but their home still standing. They spoke of feeling God’s hand of protection upon them as they fled and sought refuge. There was unspeakable danger and horror all around them, yet God remained true to them and did not leave them or forsake them.

           Here is my question for you today: How have you experienced God’s faithfulness? I’ve realized now more than ever that there is much in our world we take for granted. Often, we forget just how much God has given us. My challenge for each of us in the week ahead is to pause at the end of each day and ask ourselves, “How has God been faithful to me today?” I want to encourage us to focus on each day and how we have encountered God’s faithfulness. We live in messy times where there is so little on which we can depend. With things constantly changing, God’s faithfulness will never change! God has been, is, and will remain relentlessly faithful to God’s purposes in this world and to God’s people.

           Don’t get me wrong, I still have questions about God’s faithfulness. I wonder why God’s faithfulness isn’t more easily seen at times; why it seems like God is veiled from us. I wonder why it seems like God is more faithful to some than others at times. Perhaps some of you have similar questions. Let me say that your questions are valid and require much prayer and searching to find an adequate answer. Yet, in the midst of our questioning, God still remains faithful. Even when we struggle to see what good God is doing, God is still at work. When we face hard questions of faith, God doesn’t quit! God is always faithful!

           It has been said that the only guarantees in life are death and taxes. Allow me to add a third one. We are guaranteed that someday we will die, we are guaranteed that until that day we will have to pay taxes, and we are guaranteed that for all eternity God will remain faithful…to us and to all of creation. So may it be, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.

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