From a reading on the 2nd Sunday of Lent:
Hoping against hope, Abraham believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So numerous shall your descendants be.” Romans 4:18, NIV
In the book of Amos, the prophet relates a vision where he sees God “standing by a wall, with a plumb line in his hand.” Amos then hears God say, “I am setting a plumb line in the middle of my people Israel. I will never again forgive them.” (Amos 7:7-8) This is a devastating vision. A plumb line is a rule of measurement that is straight, simple and final. Stretching from point a to point b, there is no wriggle room. There is no give on the line. Amos’s vision reflects judgment against the sinful behaviors of people who are taking too much, destroying too much, and harming each other.
During lent, we have the voices of prophets like Amos ringing in our ears.
During lent, we also have Jesus. Jesus knew full well the sin that humans were up to—and are up to still! Jesus does not let up from Amos’s demand for justice. But Jesus does something more. Jesus, in his sacrifice for us, offers grace, and a path beyond the destruction. In the season of Lent, Jesus’s teachings open the possibilities for redemption and resurrection. Jesus transforms the plumb line into a Lifeline.
A Lifeline is a cosmic line of hope. A Lifeline is not tethered from point a to point b, but instead extends grace. Everyone, everything, and everywhere it touches, life bursts forth. In Jesus Christ, this Lifeline resounds through creation, reestablishing hope even in the darkest places.
Paul understood this Lifeline. When he spoke to the Romans of God’s promise to Abraham, “You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations” (Genesis 17:4), Paul helps us understand that God in Jesus has set aside the condemnation of law for a renewal of faith. We humans are not too sinful to save. Even with all the ways we have harmed each other and God’s creation, it is not too late for us. We can and must, as Paul has declared, “hope against hope” in the Lifeline Jesus has given us, to re-wild our hearts, restore the creation and be the ancestors of nations. Paul reaffirms for us that, like the stars in the sky, “so numerous shall your descendants be.” (Romans 4:18)
The people called Methodists have thrown a Lifeline in 2024. Across the Annual Conferences, Methodists have formed green teams and creation care teams and passed legislation aimed at offering a Lifeline of hope from across the denomination. From local church communities these Lifelines rose up with a call to restore the good creation. Legislation before General Conference includes consideration for netzero commitments, divestment, care of the church land, forming just partnerships, and green teams, and much more.
Let us be a Lifeline people.
Creator God, we need a Lifeline for our planet and for our communities. We need to build on the hope of Abraham, with prayer and justice. We confess we have destroyed our forests, our rivers, and harmed our neighbors. We acknowledge our redemption—our Lifeline—in Jesus Christ. We must call each other to the faithful work of restoration. This earth is our home, created by God, to last for generations and generations to come. Amen.
Rev. Richenda Fairhurst is active in the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement. She is a member of the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon board, where she chairs the Creation Justice Committee / Oregon Interfaith Power and Light. She is a member of the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference, living in Southern Oregon. Find her at JustCreation.org