Reflection for the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost

“For you yourselves know very well

that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”

“Like a thief in the night.” So many things happen unexpectedly, “like a thief in the night.”

Illness, car accidents, heart attacks. Like a thief in the night.

Unemployment, downsizing, stock market crashes. Like a thief in the night.

Car repairs, broken hot water heaters, roof repairs. Like a thief in the night.

Flood, earthquakes, tornadoes. Like a thief in the night.

Broken relationships, broken systems, actual thieves. Like a thief in the night.

There are so many things that steal from us. Things that steal our sense of security, that steal away our independence, our safety, our comfort. Things that steal our ability to function, to encounter the world with grace and love. Things that, like a thief in the night, come unexpectedly and disastrously.

And yet, this is how Paul tells us the day of the Lord will come: unexpected, surprising, life-changing.

How can you prepare for something that is, by definition, unexpected? We can prepare for a thief in protecting ourselves: locking our doors, not advertising when we’re going to be gone, and so on. We can prepare for car repairs by saving up a “rainy day” fund just for such emergencies. We can have disaster response plans and health insurance. But there is only so much preparation that can be done. There will always be the unexpected, the unknown, the surprising, the life-changing.

The good news is that our God is in those places already. The good news is that it is the day of the Lord which is coming like a thief in the night. We trust in a God who is surprising and unexpected in grace, not in punishment. We trust in a God whose mercy is so plentiful and abundant that it surprises us and changes our lives in ways we cannot even imagine. Like a thief in the night, our God’s grace comes upon us, takes us by surprise, takes from us what we value, and changes our lives. Unlike a thief in the night, what is taken is not what need, and what is left behind is not fear and emptiness, but hope and grace.

God’s grace is unexpected.

God’s love surprises.

The day of the Lord is coming like a thief in the night.

Thanks be to God.

Amen.