Special Agents of God

Thoughts based on John 1

The sparkling Christian essayist Phyllis Theroux began one of her articles as follows:  Many years ago I took a Civil Service entrance exam that contained certain questions designed to sort out the people who had “Messiah complexes” or thought that J. Edgar Hoover was giving them varicose veins.  Those questions were easy to spot although the only one that still sticks in my mind is “Do you think you are a special agent of God?”  I paused, thought about all the government benefits which hug upon my answer.  I wrote “No”  I would like to think that under the same circumstances, Mr. Hoover might have lied too

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We are special agents of God

We are called, and empowered… to see the chaos, and fight against it

To see the darkness and fight against it

To see hate and fear, and fight against them (Think John 1)

To see God, be God’s voice

But even as I say that I realize that it

doesn’t seem to be the way it really is.

I have a little trouble, most of the time

Seeing myself as a special agent of God

But that is because I sometimes make the mistake of believing that darkness and light

Cannot exist together

But they do

We do not become as God’s people, all light

The darkness is not totally dispelled, not even by sacred love

John in his Gospel says that the light shines in the darkness

That is where the light is most powerful, most intense

That is where the light makes a difference

So we cannot despair because we don’t become

Perfect

Because we make mistakes, and struggle

And even fail

We are always a crazy, blessed mixture of

Everything

Love, hate, hope, despair, darkness light

That will never change

The true miracle is not that we become perfect

but that what is good in us

what is great in us

what is love in us

what is divine in us

cannot be overcome

but can, and does

live

even in the darkness

We can see God

Receive God

Be empowered by God

When we are at our best

And, when we are at our worst

For it is God’s light

and the darkness cannot put it out

so shine my friends

shine!