O God who uses the most unlikely of things,
from an ass on a dusty road,
to a teenage girl from the sticks of Galilee,
we give you thanks
for the way you use the most unlikely things
to bring us truth.
Your ways are not our ways.
We would lift up the powerful and charismatic.
You lift up the weak and humble.
We would think that the most “holy” persons should be our guides,
but your definition of what makes one holy is different,
and we find ourselves shocked by those you actually use.
Today we think about a man who followed a different path,
who claimed a different God,
but who still had much to teach us about our sin
of judging others by the color of their skin.
We don’t understand how you used him,
in fact there are some who would say that he was far from you,
but when he opened his mouth, we found our hearts convicted,
as if he were speaking your words.
So God,
help us to listen to the unlikely.
Help us to hear the power of your story,
a story in which you use
murderers,
thieves and connivers,
adulterers,
prostitutes,
tax collectors,
and even fisherman and shepherds
to make your way known.
Help us keep our ears open at all times,
knowing that your word comes
in the most unlikely places.
Amen.
Only Wonder Understands 