Do we recognize God's call for us and our world?--by Linden Malki

Isaiah had it easier--he didn't question the vision he was given of God's calling. He did have a choice, however; God did ask, rather than demand. Jonah didn't get the choice; he tried to run the wrong way but got sidetracked by a fish. Noah was already in an obedient relationship when he was called to build an ark. Abram's father Terah got halfway to where God wanted him to go, but Abram heard God's promise and followed it, to become the father of a nation.  God spoke to Jacob, to Moses, to Joshua, to others in many different ways, but with a common message: I want you to know Me, and be committed to My Word. 

We are called as individuals, but we are also called to community. When Moses was called, he was called not to serve God by himself alone, but to go and call his extended tribal families to not just listen, but do something. They were offered an escape from a life of servitude, to a land where Abraham had originally been called. Their call was not only to go somewhere, but to be a demonstration of God's plan for the creatures that He had created. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah and others recognized God's call to all the nations, but it didn't happen in their day; in fact, what did happen was the development of a very ingrown society, that recognized God's works but saw them only applying to their own "chosen people".

What it took to break out of this impasse was Jesus, who didn't limit His message to His own society, but went out of His way to respond to Samaritans, Greeks, and even Romans, the despised imperial overlords. As Jesus' story spread beyond His own people, we see all sorts of different people responding to the call that Jesus brought. We also see followers of His followers who responded to call, recognizable as from the same Source as that originally given to Noah and Abram/Abraham. We see it coming to people like St Patrick, St Boniface, Martin Luther, and others down through generations, and we see it coming to each of us as well, if we are open to His call to live His life and pass it on!