But now ask the beasts to teach you,/ the birds of the air to tell you;/Or speak to the earth to instruct you,/ and the fish of the sea to inform you./Which of these does not know/that the hand of God has done this? Job 12. 7-9 from Morning Prayer
We may think we know how God views those who are not like us. They might anyone whose sexual orientation is different from ours, or immigrants, or those who live on the other side of town. They might be Appalachians or the very poor or even the very rich. In this political season, they might be Democrats or Republicans.
There is a danger to thinking one "knows" God in this way. Such a belief leads to digging in our heels and refusing to value the "others" among us, not hearing their voices, or not being open to receive their wisdom.
Jesus told his disciples that he had much more to tell them, but they couldn't bear it yet. Only the coming of the Spirit would make them open to new revelation. Jesus is speaking to us, too, warning us not to become complacent, sure we "know" what God wants or exactly what being a follower of Jesus Christ means in our day. Faith and understanding evolve.
We must learn to trust the Spirit, speaking in the hearts of the diverse people of this planet. We must allow ourselves times of quiet to hear that voice within our own hearts, and to ponder what she is saying in the hearts of others.
Trust. We must trust God is with us today as always. The world changes and grows, but our faith and our willingness to hear the Spirit and follow her truth, even if it leads us in new directions, must remain firm.