Psalm 14
2 Samuel 11:2-15
Ephesians 3:14-21
John 6:1-15
Hymn: 226 (Lift Up Your Heads)
Homilist: Randal Wisbey

Dr. Judah Rosenthal is a man in trouble. As the central character in Woody Allen’s film Crimes and Misdemeanors, Judah finds himself caught in a world in which all things black and white have now become varying shades of grey.

As a child, sitting in the synagogue, Judah was often reminded by his father: “The eyes of God are on us all. God sees everything.” For Judah, as a child, right and wrong, good and evil, seemed very clear to him. Yet now, as an adult, Judah has lost the certainty of his faith. God's eyes may indeed be upon him, yet he feels no assurance of God's presence. He has passed from the terrifying faith of his childhood to an even more terrifying lack of faith as an adult that leaves him only with the words of his father echoing in his mind: “God sees everything.”

I’ve thought of Judah, and his father’s words, as I have reflected upon the scripture lessons for this week—and the implicit call to live in faithful relationship with God. How do we relate to God’s overarching presence in our lives? In what ways do we respond to God’s innate interest and blessing? What happens when we knowingly turn away, and, in the process, make decisions that are destructive? How will we order our lives if we truly embrace the truth that God sees everything?