Truth

Written in the Sky…

Diversity is a gift that can open one’s eyes to varying perspectives and bring to light the beauty of creation in all its different forms. When coupled with a sense of unity; a desire to be united and recognition that we are one, as Love calls us to be, diversity can bring out the best of the human race.

St. Albert the Great wrote, “It is by the path of love, which is charity, that God draws near to man, and man to God. But where charity is not found, God cannot dwell. If, then, we possess charity, we possess God, for ‘God is Charity’ (1 John 4:8).” One of his students, Italian Dominican friar St. Thomas Aquinas, by influence of the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, wrote, “To love is to will the good of the other.” Whether Italian or Greek, it’s all the same. We, all humans, are created and called to love, to live in light (not darkness) and to bear witness to both. So then, what is one to do when confronted with or by those who don’t operate this way?

First and foremost, remember the truth. Who am I before God? Then, calling this to mind, stay focused and be faithful, trusting in the goodness of God.

“Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.
Because of it the ancients were well attested.” – Hebrews 11:1-2

It can be hard to trust and to stay focused when we do not see what we hope to see. All the same though, faith calls me to persevere and persist. And, in turn, if I cooperate, God enables me to do so. It is in this way, that faith beckons me to receive grace upon grace, to be strengthened and filled with hope, allowing me to trust, even when there may not be any physical signs for me to see.

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place
that he was to receive as an inheritance;
he went out, not knowing where he was to go.
By faith he sojourned in the Promised Land as in a foreign country,
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise;
for he was looking forward to the city with foundations,
whose architect and maker is God.
By faith he received power to generate,
even though he was past the normal age
and Sarah herself was sterile,
for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy.
So it was that there came forth from one man,
himself as good as dead,
descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky
and as countless as the sands on the seashore.” – Hebrews 11:8-12

Abraham focused on being faithful to God. God took care of and provided for Abraham and his descendants. Everything else fell into place…eventually.

writteninthesky

Waiting for dawn…

Each day, the sun rises in the east and works its way across the sky, eventually setting in the west, making way for evening. As night approaches, the moon and stars appear to light the way. Regardless of the clouds or fog…regardless of what else may be happening, this process is perpetual. One can count on it, not only based upon what we have been told and all that is written, but also based upon personal experience. It is the way it is and there is a certain rhythm to each day because of it.

It can be intriguing to consider the earth and all that is in and around it. The way it all came to be and how it works is Genius. It is also interesting to think about how our human understanding has changed throughout time as exploration has led to discovery and things that were once mystery or unknown have, over time, been revealed.

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
He is the one of whom I said,
‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’
I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel.”
John testified further, saying,
“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” – John 1:29-34

John the Baptist says two times, “I did not know him,” referring to Jesus. However, through both what he had been told and what he had experienced, he came to know Him. As John went about his way, fulfilling his purpose and carrying out his life’s work, the way, the truth and the life was revealed to him.

Just as the sky reveals the sun and moon, helping us to know night from day, so too does God reveal knowledge and wisdom through both darkness and light in our everyday life. John the Baptist was told by God not only his purpose, but also how to recognize the One for whom he was preparing the way. Like the sun and the moon, regardless of the clouds or fog, God is always there, faithful and steadfast, providing insight and showing us which way to go.

God waited, and waited for me,
and when I looked up and listened,
God gave me roots to stand firm,
and wings to fly free,
but most of all, God’s love gave me
gratitude on my lips,
hope in my heart,
and a desire to truly live.

waitintfordawn2

Remembrance…

Earlier in the week, I was at a gathering where the person speaking asked everyone to close their eyes and think of someone they knew and whom they considered a saint. Next, we were asked what qualities the person had that made us think of them as a saint. Then, we were asked what we might need to do to have more of that quality in ourselves.

I found it to be a particularly interesting exercise. This is mostly because I immediately thought of two people, both of whom are still alive. I found myself thinking, “Oops,” upon realizing that the speaker meant for us to think of people who had passed away. However, my mea culpa ended up being quite fruitful.

I am convinced that it was not a coincidence that the people who came to mind are still alive, not only that, but also that neither of them would consider themselves saintly by a long stretch. The thing is that while none of us is perfect, all of us have qualities that are good and holy…saintly. Some days they may shine more brightly than other days, but the hope is that as we go along they shine more often or with greater steadiness.

Continuing with the meditation, as I sat there I could envision the faces of so many people, both those living and those now deceased that God has placed around me and with me. How awe-inspiring it was. I could not help but think that there are and have been so many good people, not only in my life, but also in the world. There have also been less than kind-hearted people, but still positive things have come from most of those experiences. More than anything, it seems that there are so many examples of goodness, and each time we experience one, we are blessed. It can be easy to forget that.

November is typically a month of thanksgiving and remembrance. With each day, and as the seasons change and the years pass, it is always good to remember and be thankful.

Being Chosen…

Anticipation…thrill…excitement…some of the feelings that accompany the thought of being chosen. As a child, I recall feeling a surge of these and more while raising my hand and waiting…longing to be chosen for one of the “premium” tasks during the school day. That is, the tasks that would get one out of the classroom (bringing books back to the library, clapping out the chalkboard erasers, etc.). I also recall these feelings while waiting to be chosen for a team during recess or gym class. So many times of waiting to be chosen during recess games of “red rover, red rover send … right over,” where the object was to break through the chain of hands on the opposite side.

As I think about it, I also remember feeling worry and anxiety in the instances where I was not chosen until further down line, or at all. Then there were the times of not breaking through the red rover line or not performing as I had hoped when it was my turn to “step up to the plate.” It is interesting how as we grow up, the aspects of the games of childhood follow us. They remain, only the structure morphs into adult forms (competing for a job, putting an offer in for a home, etc.). Just as in childhood, some seem to end up better off than others and the temptation is often to fend for oneself only.

Thankfully God does not play the same way that we do. In the Gospel of Luke, Zacchaeus, the tax collector, who is short (both physically and in the eyes of the crowd due to his profession) is trying to see Jesus. We are told it is Jesus’ intention to simply pass through Jericho. There is a crowd in between Zacchaeus and Jesus. He cannot see over or through them. He cannot break through the “red rover line.” In human terms, “game over.”

However, Zacchaeus, led by his desire to see who Jesus is, notices a sycamore tree, runs over to it and climbs up. Jesus sees him and calls to him. Imagine what it was like for Zacchaeus to be seen and called by name by the One whom he was trying to see. Not only that, but Jesus is moved from his original intent of just passing through Jericho to instead stay at Zacchaeus’ house.

How wonderful for Zacchaeus! But that’s not what the crowd seems to think. They “grumble” in disbelief. They are not able to share in the joy with which Zacchaeus receives Jesus’ invitation. I wonder what it would have been like if the crowd had been able to be happy for Zacchaeus.

Perhaps, though, what matters most is that Zacchaeus and Jesus are not affected by the crowd’s dismay. They continue in the direction they have been called. They continue their encounter. As a result, we see a moment of conversion and the grace of God which reaches far beyond any line. Like Zacchaeus, we are all invited, we are all chosen by God. What a thrill!

creationofadam

At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said,
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house.”
And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying,
“He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.”
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
“Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over.”
And Jesus said to him,
“Today salvation has come to this house
because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.
For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost.”
– Luke 19:1-10

Here we go again…

The current state of affairs throughout the world, the vast unrest, seems so unreal. Have we really fallen this far? One can only imagine the reaction of all those who have come before us.

What is it that has led to what seems like an inability to be objective? How did behavior that wreaks of an “everyone out for herself or himself” attitude become so widely acceptable and celebrated? While there are so many things that one could debate, it seems reasonable to say that in the quest to win or be the best, integrity, fair-mindedness, and dignity have been obliterated.

Amongst all the hullabaloo and distractions, is there any substance? It seems that so often the meaningful is hidden, squashed or perverted to the point of being hardly recognizable as what it once was promoted as or intended to be. From where does this confusion come?

It leads one to think. What’s the point of all the non-sense going on in the world today? I guess that depends on what one’s goal is.

As unreal as the happenings in the world seem to be, they are not really all that new. We have been at the same, or very similar, crossroads many times before and have risen to the challenge. People of all different races, religions and cultures have persevered through faith, learning and re-learning to work together, from age to age since the beginning of time. We are no different. Believe…

“God of life, you believe in us, you enrich us,
you entrust us with the freedom to choose life…”
– Joyce Rupp, OSM

herewegoagain

Throwing Stones…

Stones

“Let the one among you who is without sin,
be the first to throw a stone at her.” – John 8:7

In the world in which we live, the above Bible verse has come to mean, to many people, it is not Christ-like to criticize wrongdoing. Is that interpretation accurate though? Is that really how Christ lived and taught? Is it true?

It is interesting how the truth is often twisted and how, throughout history, the truth, and speakers of the truth, have often been frowned upon. In the Gospel passage of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11), Jesus, champion of truth, honesty and integrity, is put in a position where the authorities (the scribes and Pharisees) are looking for a reason to “take him down” so to speak. They see Jesus as a threat. If the truth becomes known…if their manipulation and ways of holding down and misleading the faithful become known, the faithful will no longer support them and their authority will fade away. This possibility makes them focus even more on trying to suppress or manipulate the truth. They are not open to anything other than efforts to hold onto their kingdom, no matter how that might affect the faithful.

While the scribes and Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus into going against Mosaic law, so that they can arrest him and eventually do away with him, Jesus turns the tables on them. Jesus knows that their motivation is self-serving; they are not concerned about the spiritual well-being of the woman they have brought before Jesus. They are using her, and Mosaic law, to try to get what they want. They are not pointing to the law for the purpose of which the law was made and certainly not for the well-being of the woman or the larger community.

So how does Jesus respond? He calls the scribes and Pharisees attention to the fact that they are not without sin; their hearts are not pure, and they slither away. The woman is left standing alone with Jesus.

While Jesus does not condemn the woman, he does hold her accountable and tells her not to sin any more.

Oftentimes, we can confuse holding someone accountable or to the truth as being judgmental. However, we need to be able to judge situations and, at times, we are called to speak the truth, even if that means it may be in conflict with another or requires holding another accountable.

In a scripture passage prior to the passage about the woman caught in adultery, Jesus says, “Whoever speaks on his own seeks his own glory, but whoever seeks the glory of the one who sent him is truthful, and there is no wrong in him. Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?” The crowd answered, “You are possessed! Who is trying to kill you?” Jesus answered and said to them, “I performed one work and all of you are amazed because of it. Moses gave you circumcision—not that it came from Moses but rather from the patriarchs—and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If a man can receive circumcision on a Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because I made a whole person well on a Sabbath? Stop judging by appearances, but judge justly.” (John 7:18-24)

If we come back to the woman caught in adultery, we see that Jesus doesn’t condemn her to death, but he does make a judgment. He tells her to sin no more. He tells her to stop.

When we look at our own lives, like with everything else, we need to follow Jesus’ example. We shouldn’t throw stones, but we should judge justly. When we see people doing wrong, we are called to speak the truth and to stand up for what is just. That is a big part of carrying one’s own cross…of being Christian.

 

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area,
and all the people started coming to him,
and he sat down and taught them.
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman
who had been caught in adultery
and made her stand in the middle.
They said to him,
“Teacher, this woman was caught
in the very act of committing adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?”
They said this to test him,
so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him,
he straightened up and said to them,
“Let the one among you who is without sin
be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
And in response, they went away one by one,
beginning with the elders.
So he was left alone with the woman before him.
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,
“Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?”
She replied, “No one, sir.”
Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” – John 8:1-11

When Truth Comes…

Sometimes it can be hard to know what the right thing, the good thing, to do in a situation is…And sometimes, it can be even harder to do that thing.

Growing up, I remember singing a hymn at church that had the words, “All of you who have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ. Alleluia.” It was one of my favorite hymns. I recall singing the words in English, Greek and Arabic during liturgy.

What I remember most, though, are the feelings that were evoked and how deeply touched my soul was as I was singing alongside fellow parishioners. There was no organ or instruments (although I have come to appreciate and enjoy their presence in the years since).  Just a church full of people responding and singing, and it seemed everyone was responding and singing. How good and uplifting it was…the Truth proclaimed and fully alive…Spirit so present.

As I reflect on that time and on doing the right thing, the good thing, now, I think about what it means to me to be created in the image of God and to be a disciple. I believe with all of my heart and all of my soul that despite what the world around me may think or say, or even do, I am called to do the right thing and I have been given (we all have been given) the gifts to do so. It is a call from birth, and my faith and religious tradition tell me it has been sealed through Baptism, and that through God’s grace I am capable of answering that call, doing what is right, no matter what the circumstances.

I remind myself of my experience when I pray about a situation honestly and with openness. That is, when I pour my heart out to God, sharing more than what I would like to see or how I would like to see it…Sharing all my thoughts, hopes and fears, with a heart that desires to do right by God, more than anything else, the path for me to take becomes very clear.

Sometimes the path calls me to say, “No. I will not go along.” Calling me to stand up and speak up, loud and clear, in the name of love, truth, mercy and justice. I need to trust that God, who led me to it, will see me through it, and even though it may be difficult and may cause discomfort or pain, I need to do it, because it is the right thing, the good thing, to do. In doing it, I am brought back to singing that hymn as a child…How good and uplifting it is…the Truth proclaimed and fully alive…Spirit so present. Alleluia!

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” – Col 3:16-17