Believe in something bigger!
That’s the lottery’s slogan, hinting at the possibility that if we were just daring enough and noble enough to buy a lottery ticket and believe, we would be deserving of winning that prize. That’s faith defined by Disney, and it is so seductive. Just believe, and you will get what you want.
By combining his “faith the size of a mustard seed” saying with this parable about how his disciples are really dutiful slaves, Jesus prevents us from understanding faith in the Disney way. The parable demands that we, like any good and faithful servant, keep our eyes on our master, not on what it is we want, or even understand. Such a faithful attitude isn’t going to answer all our questions and doubts, but it will keep us on the path, following Christ because that’s where life is to be found.
This week’s experiment is to live by such a faith, focused not inward on what we are getting or accomplishing, but outward on God who creates, calls, inspires, and redeems. Our aim is to believe in that bigger picture, just like the Lottery ad suggests. What we trust is the God beyond words, whose gift to us is life itself. The method is simple: Take a word from the Gospel message—hope, peace, justice, forgiveness, Kingdom, life, redemption—there are many to choose from. Then look for the reality of that word—not what you are able to do about it, but what God is doing now to create and re-create the Gospel reality. The Lottery is right, our hope is in believing in something bigger—they have no idea how big!
What is your Gospel word? What do you see? Write your story here. There will also be a place to share at Trinity.