Let us pray. May only the truth be spoken and only the truth be heard. In the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

How often do we feel so overwhelmed by the change we see all around us, change for the worse, that we wonder just how long it can go on this way? We question whether the whole mechanism of society as we know it might soon crumble all around us. Is it, indeed, already in the process of doing just that? And so, we can imagine how Amos must have felt as he listened to the prophetic words the Lord was giving him in our first reading this morning. Imagine the thoughts that would have been running amok in Amos. The strong vision in a series of revelations from God painted a very unsettling picture of the future in that era of the Israelites. The imagery of ripe fruit signaled the impending demise of a whole nation of people, of whom many had steadfastly ignored and flouted the commandments of God.

In our present time, as in the time of Amos, too often the needy and the poor are trampled, the Sabbath is ignored, and cheating of one form or another happens far too frequently. Yet few can argue that the collective resources of the world are more than adequate to care for all its inhabitants. So what has happened to us as citizens and custodians of our planet - God’s earth? Do we for a moment really think that God is not aware of our actions and inaction and their results?  Why would it be any different today than it was in the time of Amos? I suppose it could be said that from some quarters, God officially isn’t relevant anyway, but to those of us who believe the opposite is true, what are we to make of the plight of the downtrodden and ignored and of those government mechanisms whose intransigence has brought them to this condition? 

In our own corner of the globe this scenario might apply to how we treat the sick, the elderly, native peoples, the homeless, and how we respond to hunger and many other social issues. As the neglect and abdication of the responsibilities of nationhood sink further and further, God will seem ever more distant from us. But, we must remember, if He seems distant, who moved?

Such was the warning Amos received. What have we received?
 

In Colossians, in stark contrast, Paul offers the supreme solution as he testifies to the ultimate nature of Jesus Christ, all-encompassing wholeness that Jesus is to us, his people, and indeed to all of creation everywhere in the universe. He is not only the likeness of God, the founder of his church, the first of all; He is the pathway to God. 

The closing verses speak of a mystery or secret of God, which was hidden for many centuries from the people. The same secret is being revealed today, in our lives and in the lives of hundreds of thousands of new Christians every single day – that Christ living in our hearts is our only hope of glory. Once we, as human beings, were alienated from God because of our sinful behaviour, but now, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we are reconciled to God. Not one of us can make it on our own, not one of us can avoid sin, but through Christ we are presented to the Father holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation. Thus, the secret is not really a secret at all …. it has been known since the time Jesus walked this planet.

This secret of the ages has been made known through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. He has blazed the pathway to God for us. He alone has made it possible for us to call God “Abba – daddy”. 

Let’s move on to the reading from John’s Gospel. Here our Lord is on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, having called out to the crew of the fishing boat just a hundred yards away. The age-old question any of us might ask—“Well, what did you catch?”  Picture us replying – “nothing, not even a sandal”; hear Lord’s response as it rings in our ears – “just drop your line on the right side of the boat and reel them in”. Sure! Sure! And yet, how simple – how simply miraculous. And with simple faith, the fishers did as He said - and what a harvest!

Jesus had stoked a fire ashore and had a meal of fish and bread already under way for the fishermen, as they hauled their magnificent catch to seaside. Then he said simply – “Let’s eat”. Nothing complicated there. It never is complicated unless we make it so. And so, imagine the fellowship of having a feed of fresh fish and bread with the Son of the Creator of the universe! Could it possibly get any better than that? 

The conversation following breakfast turned somewhat more serious as Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him, three opportunities for Peter to redeem himself, the same number as the times that words of denial of his Lord had crossed Peter’s lips in the courtyard not so many days before. Jesus knew his heart and his replies before even asking the questions. Then he tells him what fate has in store for him as a follower of his Truth. Jesus offers each of us, too, as many times as we need to redeem ourselves. In a very real way, we each hold our own conversation with the Saviour, customized and personalized for you and for me.
 

And so – is it really all that bad on this green and blue planet we call home? In my humble view, it is a splendid place and time to be alive – right here and now. There is so much for which we can be thankful. We live in a country blessed by God through an endless variety of people and their talents and gifts. And of course, much of what we learn about the world around us is driven by the various news media who seem to be obligated by at least some of the consumer groups (that’s us) to report mostly negative and sensational events. Such a shame, for I am sure each one of us is aware of, and likely has many true and personal stories which we could share that serve to reassure our faith in God’s providence and in humankind as a whole. I believe our days are full of such mini-miracles. Sometimes, they are too numerous to count. Regrettably, they do not often make the headlines, except in the front page of our hearts and minds.
 

There is one such story which comes to mind for me. In early June, Cursillo weekends were held at the Anishnabe Spiritual Centre just south of Espanola. The second of the two weekends was scheduled to begin, as usual, on a Thursday evening, and all preparations were in high gear. The organizers were planning to be at the Centre for about 5 p.m., with guests arriving around 7:30. For those on Manitoulin Island, that day is now remembered as ‘black Thursday’, the day the Little Current bridge, which had faithfully swung on its pivots for many decades, stopped in mid-arc, thus cutting off all road traffic to and from the Island. The Cursillo organizers, most of who are from the Island, were understandably horrified. No preparation – no Cursillo! What to do? A hastily devised alternate plan was set up using a relay of boats and a chartered bus. The trouble was, traffic was already backed up as far as Willisville so the chartered bus couldn’t get through to meet the boats. But this group of people had that faith scripture speaks of, the size of a mustard seed, and so the organizing team began contacting as many of their number as they could with the disconcerting news. Soon, people around the Island were uniting in intercessory prayer that God would cause the bridge to swing back safely into place. They had even set a time – 5 p.m. I believe God wants us to be specific in our pleas. Meanwhile, word reached us here and in Sudbury and we too deliberately prayed for the bridge to allow passage in time. Radio news reports were very pessimistic- it would be at least midnight if not the weekend before the bridge could be restored. Then, in God’s perfect timing, the bridge was realigned at about ten minutes to five on the Thursday afternoon. Prayers answered. A swung bridge. As good as boat full of fish. Thank you Jesus! 

The only headline resulting from this news event made was in our hearts - and in the hearts of all that were blessed on the Cursillo weekend. To say nothing of countless others who were then able to continue unimpeded on their journey to and from Manitoulin.

And so, this morning, the Old Testament reading describes what we must not do, the New Testament reading offers us a glimpse of the ultimate and all-encompassing glory of God, and the Gospel message clearly shows us how to get there. When Jesus asks us to follow Him, to do as He tells us, to watch miracles happen, do we say, as Peter did – “Lord, you know my heart” – is our heart ready to give the answer, and to accept the amazing yoke of His righteousness? It is my prayer that we always are ready to say ‘yes’ to the friend and brother of fishers and apostles, of you and me. And, as we do, we can truly say - thanks be to God.