Perhaps, in the face of an illness or an accident or a particularly difficult situation, we may have a sense of bitter futility, frustration, and even resignation. Feeling totally helpless, we throw up our hands and say, “Why, God, is this happening to me?”

Today’s Scriptures are filled with images of such human powerlessness. God’s power, by comparison, appears limitless—with literal fire and brimstone, the power to spare life or end it, within the divine grasp.

And yet, there is a hidden tenderness here that is easily overlooked. At Sodom, an angel of the Lord desperately tries to get Lot to go to the hills, but Lot refuses, begging for mercy and understanding. Eventually, in response to Lot’s cries, the angel relents and lets him settle in a nearby town, sparing it from destruction. And Jesus, while initially critical of his disciples’ lack of faith, doesn’t let them suffer long but quickly calms the storm.

These are fitting images of the spiritual life: we approach God in fear and trembling, but as we draw closer, we find tenderness, love, and a boundless mercy beyond imagining. We begin to discover that God calls us to accept both our power and powerlessness—to embrace situations where we can and must act, and to accept situations where we must surrender and let go. The choice is not always clear, but through persistent prayer, good counsel, and good will, a path often opens unexpectedly before us.

Whether today finds us clothed with power or powerlessness, feeling strong and able or angry and frustrated, we trust that God welcomes whatever we offer at the altar of prayer—where even our anger, fear, or lack of faith is transformed into the world-shaking power of love.

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From the July 2023 issue of Give Us This Day, www.giveusthisday.org (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2023). Used with permission.