September 21, 2022

In the 16th Century, Luther and Erasmus tussled over whether God could reside in a dung hole. Lovely, right? It was basically an argument about whether God is imminent (near) or transcendent (removed).  Erasmus argued against the dung hole; God’s innate holiness prevents Him from entering the dung hole. Luther was decidedly pro dung hole; God enters into everything – the good, the bad, the ugly.

He turned to the prophet Jeremiah for proof. “’I am a God nearby, and not a God far away. Who can hide in secret places, so that I cannot see them? Do I not fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 23:23-24)

Perhaps you’ve never thought of yourself as a pro-dung holer when it comes to the question of God, but thankfully God enters into the worst of the worst. If God only dealt in the holy, then there would be no Christmas, Good Friday, or Easter. And closer to home, He is in the very worst that life deals out to you.

“Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to bebetrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you andthe Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” (Good Friday – BCP)