· Revelation 7:9-17
· Psalm 34:1-10, 22 (9)
· 1 John 3:1-3
· Matthew 5:1-12
I was looking at the reading from Revelation and then the thought came to me: why does God need all these saints?
We talk about how to be saved a lot, but why are we saved? Why does God want us saved? Why does God want us saved now, in this life? He could just let us do whatever we want and then save us after we die. That would be a lot less trouble. No need to recruit prophets, send his son, work miracles, dictate laws, and so on. So why does God want so many saints, and why does he want them in this life?
In this reading, it looks like after death, saints gather around the throne of God with palms and sing his praises. Great. Excellent. I look forward to joining the Choir of Angels when I die, as a matter of fact. But does God need this personality cult? Does God really need a horde of sycophants following him around with palms and singing to feel happy? That sounds more like a psychopathic dictator than my God. And even if he does want a gigantic choir to sing his praises, why would they need to go through the hassles of this life, become saints, die, and then sing his praises? Aren't the angels, powers, thrones and principalities enough?
A devout Catholic in my non-denominational Bible study group said the point is to fight Satan so he doesn't take over the world and wipe out the Church. I guess that depends how literally you believe in Satan, but anyway it doesn't answer the question. God has power over Satan. He could just go "ok, that's enough now, you go to time-out," and Satan would go to time-out. Either God can do that and he doesn't need us, or he can't do it and we certainly won't do any better.
Yet another theory is that saints are saving the world through prayer somehow. Like if everybody prays the Fatima prayer long enough, communism will fail. Well that's a theory, but remember, when you're praying, you're usually asking God to do something, and then if your prayers are answered, supposedly it's because God did what you asked. So if you pray for the fall of communism, or Stephen Harper, or whatever else, and then it happens, you haven't done anything for God: God has done something for you. Again. In addition to your salvation. So does God need saints to make to-do lists for him through prayer? That doesn't seem really plausible. God knows what he wants to do, he doesn't need to get told. Millions of people asking for the fall of communism for years? Is God gonna wake up one morning and go "ok, fine, I get it, you don't like communism, I'm a' wipe them out right away." No. God cannot have his arm twisted by any volume of prayer, and I really don't think he created saints so we could harass him with complaints about politics.
If God needs saints in this life it has to be that he wants us to do something that he's not gonna do himself. Not something he can't do, because that doesn't exist, but something he won't do. God isn't going to clean your toilet no matter how much you pray. You can try it if you like but I can assure you, toilets don't get cleaned by prayer. But now suppose you have arthritis or you've had a stroke or your arm was amputated and you really can't clean your own toilet. God is still not gonna clean the toilet for you; you need a person to come and do it. Maybe Social Services will send you someone. Or maybe God will. God will not grab the brush and start scrubbing, but he can put it in your neighbour's heart to come and offer his help. Or, if your neighbour is like my neighbour, he'll offer to pray that your toilet gets cleaned. One time when I was out of work, a person who owns a business that needs workers with my skills prayed for months that God would get me a job – but she never offered me any work, even though she was short workers. Does that make sense? Are you gonna say to God "dear Lord, my neighbour needs his toilet cleaned and I sure ain't gonna do it, but please do something for him, we-ask-this-in-Jesus'-name-amen." Does that sound righteous to you? Do you think God appreciates this kind of prayer?
There is a saying that "evil prevails when good men fail to act". Or if you've seen the movie Lord of War, "they say evil prevails when good men fail to act; what they should say is, evil prevails." Maybe he's right. Maybe evil will always prevail, for the simple reason that it's easier to do evil than good. And that's why God needs saints in this life, not just in the next. As saints, as disciples of Jesus Christ, we have received the Holy Spirit. We are no longer ourselves, but mini-Christs. As we read often in the letters, Christ is the head, we are the body. We are the hands that do the work of Christ. Jesus came into the world not to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28). Likewise we who have received the Spirit are called not to be served, but to serve. Actually roll up our sleeves and do things, physically, with our hands, for other people. Praying is fine, but it is no substitute for action. Prayer is what you do when you are powerless to do more yourself. And giving money is fine, but I'm sceptical of the righteousness of the ministry of money. It's better to give your money to the poor than to keep it to yourself, but better yet is to forego the chase after money and devote yourself to helping others in practical ways. Spend your life in service to others, if you can. If you can't, at least clean a toilet for someone who is ill. Take a special-needs child for respite for the weekend. Talk to the homeless, the beggars, the disabled and the mentally ill with the respect and humanity you grant to others – it means more to them than your money.
You, saints, are the hands and the face of Christ in an evil world. God sends you, not to sit on your hands and say pious words with your mouth, but to go as he did, among the poor, the sick, the lepers, the tax collectors and prostitutes, all those who are broken in body or spirit, who are outcasts, who are suffering. Not just to send your money, though you should do that also, but to bring the smile of Christ and the helping hands of Christ personally, physically, to them. You are not saved for your sake, that you may live happily ever after, but for theirs, that you may serve them, now, in this life.
Praise be to God, the King, the Most Holy, the Abaser, the Exalter, the Bestower of honour, the Humiliator, the Most Strong.
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