Expect the Unexpected by Father Ian Maher

Expect the Unexpected

by Father Ian Maher

Luke 4.18-22

Life if certainly full of surprises and does not always turn out the way we expect. Good things and bad can arise out of the blue through events and circumstances that we have no way of anticipating ahead of time. A year ago, who would have thought that a virus originating from a Chinese market could change our world in such a devastating way?

When we receive a good surprise, it is a source of great joy and happiness. Such things as an unexpected phone call from a friend with whom we had lost touch; or travelling and noticing something of great beauty that we could never have imagined as we set off; or we might find ourselves on the receiving end of an act of kindness from someone we least expect but which makes a real difference.

But when we receive a negative surprise, shock would be a better word, it affects us very differently. Our lives may be shaken to the core when receiving news about the illness or death of a loved one; we can be deeply upset by the words or actions of someone we trust but who lets us down; or we can be left in turmoil as best laid plans are left in tatters when something goes wrong.

The lives of all of us have been profoundly impacted, some devastatingly so, by the virus. In fact, we are all being changed by this experience. Our lives will be measured in part as BV and AV. Before the virus, and after the virus. For good and for ill there is an unpredictability to life that needs to be appreciated if we are to make the most of what we have. In so doing it enables us to be open to the possibility of surprises whether good or bad. Put another way, we must learn to expect the unexpected.

In the gospels Jesus confounded many people who had little or no expectation of him. They certainly did not expect a carpenter from Nazareth to be the Messiah though some, in time, came to be amazed by his words and deeds.

For example, you might recall the stir that the young Jesus caused when he read from the scroll at the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4.14-22). His listeners certainly got more than they anticipated.

The people were, in fact, amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth and through the appropriation to himself of the words of Isaiah which Jesus read from the scroll. Of course, not everyone was pleased about this.

Even some of the people who had grown up with Jesus were unable to see Jesus for who he was, so blinkered were they by their own limited expectations of this familiar person who had lived among them.

God is, however, a God of surprises who does unexpected things in unexpected places at unexpected times and through unexpected people. Who would have thought that the Lord of the universe would be born in a stable? Who would have thought that the devastation of Good Friday would be transformed into the glory of Easter? Who would have thought that the kingdom of God would turn the values of the world upside down?

All these things should encourage us to expect the unexpected in life and be open to the surprises that God has in store for us, whether those surprises come in the midst of joys or sorrows. Even in the midst of a pandemic we can find those places of grace where God’s love and compassion break through, and that is why we will not lose hope or give up on our faith.

In ways great and small God breaks in and changes our life for the better. All we need to do is remain open to that possibility. With God we can learn to expect the unexpected.

I am a priest and minor canon at Sheffield Cathedral. My last post prior to retirement from stipendiary ministry was as the Multifaith Chaplaincy Coordinator and Anglican Chaplain at Sheffield Hallam University, where I worked for 12 years.

https://imaherblog.wordpress.com/ Twitter @IanMaher7