9/17/14

Gospel LK 7:31-35

Jesus said to the crowds:
“To what shall I compare the people of this generation?
What are they like?
They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,

‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.
We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’

For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine,
and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

Reflection

Beauty is everywhere if we have the eyes to see it. Conversely, so is ugliness. We can see the cup as half full or half empty. We can be both righteously good and wickedly bad, almost concurrently. 

But with God we can see beauty even in things that the world would call ugly - He doesn't make junk. We can look at that same cup and recognize that what is left in our cup is only half empty instead of all the way gone - even the smallest amount is a blessing. We can see ourselves as neither good nor bad - we are beloved not because of anything we do but because of His infinite and compassionate love.

As we search for God in our world we can easily fall into the trap of missing Him no matter where we look. There is so much pain, hurt and evil in our world that God must be on nonexistent or at least absent. Similarly, we can fall into the trap of seeing Him everywhere but only in limited and safe ways. We can put on the pretenses of faith going to Church once a week, saying our prayers at meals and before going to bed, even performing some sort of token service, without allowing Him to change our lifestyles, habits and very being - if we truly believed would we waste as much, hate as much, objectify as much, dehumanize as much, ignore as much? 

When we look for God in extreme forms of asceticism or exuberance, our hearts will remain restless. God doesn't demand a spartan existence nor does He guarantee abundant earthly blessings. 

Instead, He promises His love, His peace, His strength, His joy. Real love. Lasting peace. Enduring strength. Complete joy. 

His demand? Our courageous faithfulness to follow Him into the deep and into His glory. Doing this won't look like anything that this world has to offer and the world won't call us anything close to wise. 

Do the most foolish thing the world could ever imagine - give Him all of you - and you will receive more than you can imagine. 

Immeasurably more.