“For I am convinced, that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:23 NIV) 

Hello, dear reader! Thank you for being here. In working through Romans for the past 10 weeks, today we arrive at this singular verse. It may be the best of Paul’s writing for me. We will not be separated from God’s love, not in calamity and not in fear. 

Here’s the text of Romans 8 (NIV)

I’m also comforted by verse 26: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” We don’t need the right words; we don’t need words at all. 

It is of course so difficult to believe that God is in ALL things, in evil, poverty, disease, pandemic. This is where faith and hope come in, to believe in a sovereign Lord and creator, that all things will come into subjection under his Christ. But in our fallen world there is still a mighty struggle. I am beginning to think more and more that it is our duty to repair the broken world piece by tiny piece, that that is our work here. For the Christian, it means we do that work here until we’re called to stand in God’s full presence. But we have to be God’s hands and feet on earth. I think that is what pleases God the most—and what He made us for—to serve him in gladness and singleness of heart. 

One of the Psalms appointed for today is very apt. In the Book of Common Prayer, Psalm 88 ends this way: “My friend and neighbor you have put away from me, and darkness is my only companion.” Yes. And what might we see when our eyes adjust to the darkness?