In Romans, St. Paul personifies God’s hidden action during times of transition as a woman in labor.
“We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now, and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait.”
Reflecting on the birth image, last Sunday we pondered what God might be laboring to birth in the midst of this worldwide pandemic and civil and political unrest.
“Interim Time…Sighs Too Deep for Words”
Groaning with Hope in the In-Between Time
Today’s passages from Romans and the Psalms paint some of the most earthy, intimate, and reassuring images of God. They evoke the myriad, mixed emotions of a woman in labor – one of the most challenging, and most rewarding, experiences in life.
“Come to me!”
“Here I Am!”
When God summons Abraham to the unthinkable, the unreasonable, the impossible, how does Abraham respond? He simply answers, “Here I am.”
