Over the years, I’ve marveled how the Sunday readings, chosen decades ago, will speak to a current situation.  This week it’s the Prayer of The Day (Collect), assigned more than a decade ago, which speaks to us.

Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities and stretch forth the hand of Your majesty to heal and defend us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

We are asking God to look mercifully upon our personal infirmities.   We request that he stretch forth his hand to heal and defend us.  We pray this through Jesus Christ, God’s Son, our ruler now and forever.

In the light of the divided mood of the nation, which finds its way into our friendships and the lives of our fellow members of Christ’s community, our national infirmities need God’s merciful hand of healing and defense.  In fact, we may find ourselves divided within our own being; not sure what to think or do.

As Christians, we not only look to God’s almighty and everlasting majesty, but to the cross where God, had given up all his majesty.  There, in mercy, he stretched out his hand in suffering for our infirmities.  Following his resurrection, as he was about to ascend back to the Father he stretched out his hand in blessing.

Whatever, personal, community or national infirmities afflict us, we live within the reign of our Triune God who lives and reigns now and forever.  To that we say our Amen, it is so.