I have recently become a fan of the series, “Doctor Who”, and, so far, I’ve gotten through a bit of the sixth season. If you are a fan of this show, you will remember that Doctor Who always has a traveling companion traveling with him (or her) through space and time using the T.A.R.D.I.S. This stands for, “Time and Relative Dimension in Space.” From the outside, T.A.R.D.I.S. looks like a rather small, blue, police emergency phone booth. When entering the door, however, a rather large control room for the time machine is revealed.
Traditionally, when The Doctor invites a new companion to enter this ship, they give a sideways look before asking, “Why are you calling a phone booth a ship?” Inevitably, once they do enter, they always say, “It’s bigger on the inside.” After five seasons of watching, I always anticipate this moment when the new companion chooses to travel with The Doctor. I think I like this moment, in part, because it teaches me something about faith… that being, God is always bigger than we might imagine.
This summer, we confirmed six young people at our church, State Street United Methodist Church. If you are not familiar with the United Methodist Church, Confirmation is a time in our church when young people discern and intentionally make their personal profession of faith. It is a holy moment in their life, and an important aspect of confirmation is the church promising to come alongside them to help them grow in faith.
This year I tried to convey that faith, God, and what God can do through us, is always much bigger than we might imagine. Our world is facing a lot of big challenges these days. Yet, the love of God, and the ways of Jesus, are always bigger than any challenge or difficulty we might face.
When I read about the teachings of Jesus, those teachings often talk about love in terms caring for the poor, visiting the imprisoned, forgiving the sinner, welcoming the foreigners among us, and even loving our enemies. When I look at the challenges of our world, I see struggles with poverty, immigration, healthcare, war-torn nations, and how to be redemptive instead of punitive. I see divisions where I once saw unity. These are big challenges. They are not, however, bigger than God or God’s love for human beings.
The great Dorothy Day once suggested that our love for God can be measured by our love for others. That’s a big idea, but I think she’s correct. Oh, that God’s love might invite us to step inside more often. Oh, that God’s love might awe and amaze us for what it can do. Oh, that it might teach us to love those God loves today, tomorrow, and the next day.
-by Rev. Craig Tuck, Pastor
State Street United Methodist Church
