When I was a young girl, I had a bit of an interest in “magic.”  Of course at the time I couldn’t understand or see the slight of hand or other distractions that helped to make the impossible appear true!  So as I began to learn my bible stories, there had to have been times when I equated the miracles of Jesus to the magic I saw on the television screen.

“If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured”…  and wow!  The suffering woman was healed by her faith. “But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live”… and voila!  Despite a ridiculing crowd, Jesus declared that the child was no longer dead, only sleeping – and it became true.

Today, our faith is challenged – in some measure due to new visibility and voice for age-old and world-wide issues.    We know that Jesus called us to love one another, for all of us to love all of our neighbors.  But we continue to fall short.  What a lovely thought that we could wish it away – all the hatred.  What a magnificent dream to see a sweep of a wand that could make things right for all people – all respected and loved.  What a beautiful image to visualize Jesus making things whole for all of us, today – through faith.  But the magician is inadequate to the task and Jesus isn’t physically here.

So what do we have?  We have to remember that Jesus IS here – within each of us.  Jesus continues to speak through each of our words and to act through each of our choices.  Our faith is made manifest in our everyday words and our everyday works.  Our faith can be as true as that of the suffering woman, and that of the official for his daughter.  We have the power to use our deep faith for the benefit of the other.  But we – I – may lack the courage to do so.

Shall we pray together, asking God to strengthen us in our faith, and to give us the courage to use that faith (expressed in our words, acts, time, treasure) to move our world to one that is just and loving – and healed?  Let us pray.  Amen.