Hindsight is 20/20 - January 24

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 41, 52; PM Psalm 44; Gen. 14:(1-7)8-24; Heb. 8:1-13; John 4:43-54

There is a common statement that our Scriptures reflect: “Hindsight is 20/20.”  It is a statement that implies that we look back, we often wish we had known what we know now.  Maybe we would have done things differently.  Maybe offered up other words, spent more time with a person, or taken a greater risk.  But few of us truly know what the future will bring.

In Today’s Gospel, Jesus returns to Cana where the famous wedding miracle had taken place.  He encounters a man whose son is ill in another town.  He begs Jesus to heal him, and the author John implies that the man believes in Jesus’s power.  When he returns to Capernaum, he meets those carrying for his son and he finds out that at the moment when he had asked Jesus to heal him, the boy began to recover.  The man’s household is amazed, and now knowing more of the story, they too believe in the power of Jesus. 

This exposes a fundamental truth about our existence.  We cannot be certain that we always see the full picture.  Something happens in life and at some point, it becomes clearer about the why, or we see God’s work when more time has passed.  One might even use the imagery of a good book or movie where at the very end everything seems to make sense but when we are in the middle, there are a bunch of questions.   

The story that we are living is not yet finished.  Life will always be full of both joys and disappointments, but faith is knowing that God is a part of it (and it may take time and some hindsight to see it).  Wherever you are on your journey, I trust that God is leading and guiding you and if you ever need help looking back, know that your clergy are more than willing to listen and reflect.

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection:  What are some of your stories where hindsight has helped you gain a better understanding of the experience?  Where have you seen God working, days, months, or even years later?

Daily Challenge:  Journals are a wonderful way to look back and reflect.  Consider spending ten minutes a day journaling.  Here is a link to some reasonably priced journals!