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August 30, 2010
Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time [September 5, 2010]
As often as read or hear of an account in these recent days of young Moslem men or women who strap about their body a deadly explosive device and decide to kill themselves along with many other innocent people, I say to myself, “what drives young men and women to do such a dastardly act? What is the so-called “sacred” vision that gives them the reason to walk into their own death? Truly, not many American young people can bring themselves to such an end. Is there something in the Arab psyche that impels them to kill others who have no evident quarrel with them, nor any animosity? Surely, there must be some so-called dedication that drives them to interpret the Koran in such a violent manner. Is it their religious devotion that drives them or is it some political or cultural motivation? I am at a loss to say. Indeed, I believe most Americans cannot understand the motivation behind such violent actions.
Unbelievable as it may sound, there seems to be some deep-set religious intent involved. The Moslem people are deeply religious; indeed, I would say that they are, as a whole, more religiously dedicated to their faith than many Christians. Think, for instance, of the arduous yearly trek across the desert to Mecca or some other sacred Moslem shrine. How many Christians are willing to fall on their knees 5 times each day and pray to their God as Moslems do? Not many, I suspect. Indeed, in this regard, Moslem people seem more dedicated religiously than Christians.
I simply meant to reflect on these thoughts because the gospel for this 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time speaks clearly of our ultimate Christian concern, our dedication to the call of our God.
Let us begin by saying that Jesus himself was a Jew, a Middle Eastern citizen. With that, then, he inherited from his Jewish ancestors a sense of dedication to the vision to which he felt God had called him. Remember the scene at his baptism in the Jordan when he heard God call him to a special and unique task in the world, namely to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God. It seems clear, therefore, that Jesus was dedicated to this vision until the last moments of his life on the cross. Without any doubt, Jesus was a driven person, more so even than the other young men of his time. The prophets of old and John the Baptist were his only match.
It is not so unlikely, therefore, that we should hear Jesus say what sounds to us like outrageous overstatement: “He who does not set aside (hate) his own mother and father, his family and even his own self is not worthy following me. Jesus’ listeners must have gasped and rolled their eyes at that.
Truly, however, Jesus really meant those words. The vision of the proclamation of the good news of God was more important to him even than the closest family ties. Obviously, these words sound extraordinarily harsh to us but Jesus wanted his disciples to know that his vision was enormously important to him, indeed, he considered the vision of the kingdom to be the means to eternal salvation.
So what could all this mean to the contemporary Christian or Catholic? First of all, giving up all, including family for the sake of our faith is a bit extreme. Only very dedicated Christians or those called to monastic life can bring themselves to follow this difficult way. Obviously, of course, we can all name saints who have given up their life in the world for their faith.
But for ordinary Christian, folks like you and me, it would seem that our call to holiness is to discover how our Christian life and our secular life intersect. If they are at odds with each other, something has gone wrong. We should be able to be responsible laypeople and dedicated Christians at the same time. It does not seem to me that Jesus is calling us to set aside (hate) our secular calling, our work, our pleasures, and our responsibilities in order to fulfill our Christian vocation. Indeed, the Christian should be able to respond to the call of Christ through his every day work in the world, whatever that might be. Kneeling in prayer 5 times daily might be well, but for the most of us we have other secular responsibilities that in some fashion accomplish the fulfillment of God’s kingdom. The way of the Christian is not an either or way but a both and endeavor, both God and our dedication to God’s good world.
Could it be therefore that our Moslem brothers and sisters might learn something from our Christian dedication to the God who claims our faith? I surely hope so. Terrorism, of whatever sort, is not an answer to the fulfillment of God’s kingdom. Let us learn to understand each other better and live in peace.
Posted by Cindy Lentine on August 30, 2010 01:10 PM.
