“The Lord brings to nought the plans of nations;/ he foils the designs of peoples./ But the plan of the Lord stands forever;/ the designs of his heart, through all generations” (vs. 10-11).
Read these words. Contemplate their meaning for our lives now, here in this time. Listen to the wisdom that they reveal about our own fickle and finite designs, versus the eternal design that God has for us. Our designs can never be anything more than finite and flawed, no matter how certain we are of their value or their ‘perfection.’ Scripture, history, and reality tell us that when we take our eyes off of God’s wisdom, his design for us, we get lost, we find nothing but disappointment and frustration, division, suffering, and all manner of injustice. As Christians, we believe that God and all of his designs are perfect. The Capuchin monk, Solanus Casey, put it this way, “Blessed are you, Father, in all of your designs.”
Even though we sin, God’s eyes are never taken off of us, his love for us is never diminished, and his design for us is never changed. “But see, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him,/ upon those who hope for his kindness,/ To deliver them from death/ and preserve them in spite of famine” (vs, 18-19). The fear of the Lord mentioned here is not about terror, fright, or alarm. Rather, it implies a personal relationship with God that is experienced as a profound and humble reverence and awe. It is a clear recognition of the greatness of God’s infinite goodness, of his unlimited and unconditional love toward oneself and all others, and toward all of his creation. It is a recognition that when we step outside of God’s design for us and all of creation, all hell breaks loose.
The design of God reveals the true meaning and purpose of our lives. God’s perfect design for us is shown in its fullness in and through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is in Jesus Christ that we see the face of God. It is through Jesus Christ that we come to know the depths of God’s love for each one of us, for all of humanity, and all of His Creation. It is from Jesus Christ that we come to know the way, the truth, and the life that is God’s design for us. Where do we find this? In the Gospels, through the very words and deeds of Jesus himself. This is why reading and praying with the scriptures regularly is so important.
When we take our eyes off of Christ, when we begin to see ourselves as gods and begin to think that we can shape our designs for our ends, we lose our way. When we no longer see the wisdom of bending our finite and flawed wills to the perfect will of God, we ironically become unwilling victims to our unseen arrogance. When we begin to conceive of ourselves as our gods, we begin to see fault only in others, never in ourselves. Blame and accusation become our drivers, and hatred, violence, and injustice become our means. Because of this, we never achieve the ends we desire. Instead, everything falls apart around us and we are filled with hurt, surprise, and bitter outrage. Is this not recognizable?
It is only in true humility that we can come to accept the perfect design that God has for us wisely. It is only in humility that we come to know and understand that God’s design is as true and good for all of our fellow human beings as it is for ourselves. It is only in humility that we can see in and through the life of Jesus Christ that we have a corresponding duty to cooperate with and to promote God’s design in our relationships with all others and with God’s Creation. What is God’s design revealed to us in Jesus Christ?
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (Jn. 15: 12-15).
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