The lessons for today all recite a common theme: “THE AWESOME POWER OF GOD!” It doesn’t matter what lies before us, the Lord will help us. We need not fear, the Lord will not forsake us. The Lord is all powerful and demonstrates that the Kingdom of the Lord is everlasting! Therefore, we should not fear, but rejoice in the Lord always!
This we need to hear and ponder, especially now as so many of us feel as small and powerless as a worm in the face of a recessed economy. We don’t know what lies ahead. While we should be praying for our nation’s leaders and reflecting on our own economic behaviors to see where we can better prepare ourselves for the future, it is even more important to remember who is ultimately in charge of our lives. The Lord reaches out to us in our times of need and says, “Fear not, I will help you!”
This assurance is often difficult for some of us to accept, especially for those who are worried about losing their homes, their jobs, their savings, and who don’t have enough food to eat. At my church, which is only a few blocks from Creighton University, we serve the inner-city poor with our food pantry. The number of visitors is up dramatically. I hear this from fellow Christians all over the country. More people are hungry. Food banks are in need of bail outs too.
And while it is easier for all of us to focus on our insecurities, afflictions, and needs than it is to recognize what the hand of the Lord has done in our lives, we also need to see where we can bless the name of the Lord in our faithfulness. As people of god, we have heard the good news and we have seen the awesome power of God at work in the world. We need to speak of that might with our deeds of love and mercy whenever we can so others can see it too.
It is my prayer today, as I participate in the Christmas season, that I will see the springs of water instead of the desert, the trees instead of the wasteland, and the power of the Lord instead of my own weakness. If I rely only on myself, I see only my needs and my fears. If I accept the outstretched hand of God, I have much for which I can rejoice….and I can stretch out my hand to others by donating to my local food banks. This is the discourse of the glory of the Kingdom. This is how we make known THE AWESOME POWER OF GOD!
Barbara Dilly
I came to Creighton in 2000 and retired in 2020. My twenty years of teaching, research and service in the Jesuit tradition enhanced my own life. It was an exciting time of celebration. I loved teaching and interacting with Creighton students because they responded so eagerly to the Ignatian pedagogical emphasis on the development of the whole person. It is this spirit of whole person development and celebration of life that I hope to infuse in my reflection writings.
My academic background is eclectic, preparing me well for the Liberal Arts academic environment at Creighton. I earned my BA in World Arts and Cultures from UCLA in 1988 and my Ph.D. in Comparative Cultures from the University of California, Irvine in 1994. My research focused on rural communities in the American Midwest, Latin America, and Australia. I taught Environmental Anthropology, Qualitative Research Methods, Social and Cultural Theory, and Food Studies courses.
I retired to Shell Rock, a small rural community in Northeast Iowa where I enjoy gardening, cooking, quilting, driving my 65 Impala convertible an my 49 Willys Jeepster. I have lots of fun playing my guitars with friends from the Cedar Valley Acoustic Guitar Association. But most importantly, I am still working to make my community and rural America a better place. I host a community quilt studio and serve on the Mission Board of my church. I also serve as the Climate Committee Chair and on the Executive Board of the Center for Rural Affairs.
