Pondering the Word…
The word for
the week is “simple.”
The preceding
seventeen chapters of Deuteronomy are not so simple, and if you combine them
with parts of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, you wind up with 613 commandments
(mitzvot). Wow! It’s no wonder a thousand years later, the people kneeling and
prostrate on the ground weep as Ezra reads the rediscovered law! (Neh 8:1-9).
Aside from the realization of their ignorance, that’s a long time to be on your
knees!
The point
Moses is trying to make, the point Jesus is trying to make in his parable is
that deep within our hearts, we are made in God’s image. We have the capacity
for mercy and to love as God loves. Yes, the rules and regulations, the trials
we experience, the day-in, day-out grind can cause us to create hoops we have to
jump through or walls we have to scale. But we don’t have to memorize every
prayer or all the specific laws, we don’t have to have all the “I s” dotted and
“T s” crossed. In fact, doing so, we risk “swallowing—and choking on—the camel”
because we are too busy “straining the gnat” (Mt 23:24).
No, it is
something already near to your heart. It’s simple. It’s called love. For
everyone, even (or especially) for those who are different from you. You just
have to carry it out.
Living
the Word…
Spend
time this week considering the sources of complexity in your life. There are
plenty to go around! In times of chaos, people of conscience can fall prey to a
heightened need for control, even to circle the wagons and protect what is
theirs. It can cause us to get mired in detail and lose sight of the big
picture. Instead of waking each morning to the news or to the tasks and
anxieties ahead, start the day in prayer. Always start with God.
Let prayer be simple: “Lord, help me to love today.” As you go about the day,
stop and check in every so often: “How have I simply loved today?” Give thanks
to God each night for the love that lights your life.
Mon, Jul
14: “Whoever
receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and
whoever receives a righteous man… will receive a righteous man's reward”
(Mt
10:34-11:1).
This verse is in keeping with our reflection about simplicity. Of course, the
preceding verses are anything but simple: Jesus bringing the sword but not
peace, losing one’s life to save it. Jesus is just pointing out how human beings
tend to behave. He instead calls us to simply welcome and to love.
Provision: Be
a welcoming presence. God knows we
need it! We may not realize the person we receive is a prophet or a righteous
person or disciple (“Lord, when did we see you…”) We may look to
scholarly and pious people to be prophets and righteous, but instead, look into
the eyes of the poor, the refugee, the rejected. They are often the real
prophets. Be a welcoming presence to them. You will surely not lose your reward.
Tue, Jul
15:
“In your
great kindness answer me with your constant help”
(Ps 69).
Note: this doesn’t say anything about granting me my specific prayer. In this
case, the psalmist is lamenting about sinking in “the abysmal swamp.” While we
might want to pray “get me the heck out of this swamp,” what we hear is a prayer
for help with the struggle, protection in the midst of affliction. Provision:
Pray for God’s help. I know people who have given up on faith because a
particular fervent prayer was not answered; people who quote Jesus’ words,
“If you
ask anything of me in my name, I will do it”
(Jn14:14) as a way to dismiss him. But all prayers must start with these simple
words:
“God’s
will be done,”
followed
with a prayer for God’s kindness and help in the struggle. Remember this quote
from Anthony de Mello, SJ: “If you had the choice, which would you choose:
the granting of your petition or the grace to be peaceful whether it is granted
or not?”
Wed, Jul 16:
"I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have
hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the
childlike” (Mt
11:25-27).
Here’s that simple theme again: it is to “the infants, the babes,” the
childlike that God has revealed the essence and true meaning of the law and the
prophets in Jesus. But I wonder: Is it that God has hidden things from the wise
and learned, or is it that the wise and learned who, in their very grown-up need
to answer every question, have closed their hearts and minds to learn something
new?
Provision: Look at the world through a child’s eyes. Go
“marveling” today. Look for God’s majesty everywhere. Praise God. ‘My head
[and my heart are] bursting with the joy of the unknown” (Rumi, adapted).
Thurs,
Jul 17: “Come to me,
all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest
for yourselves"(Mt 11:28-30).
As I write this, I have just read the news that the bill that will slash
benefits for the poor in the US has been passed. The burden I feel—the
disappointment, sadness, and discouragement—is nothing
compared to the labor and burden of those negatively impacted by this heartless
action.
Provision: Be
compassionate…with others and with yourself.
As
people of goodwill, we can’t allow our discouragement to hinder our efforts to
reach out and protect others. But let’s not forget that Jesus went off to the
lonely place often to receive strength and courage from God. This is not a time
to lick our wounds, but to offer them to God and ask for provisions for the
fight. Write a psalm. Express your frustration to God. Then praise God and ask
for God’s constant help.
Fri, Jul 18:
“How shall I
make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me?”
(Ps
116).
Provision: “Call upon the name of the Lord.”
It’s
that simple. Not a bunch of rules and theories. Accept God’s love and mercy.
Call upon God when you are weary or in trouble. Love others. Say thank you. It
is not up in the sky or across the sea. It is in your heart.
Sat, Jul
19: The children
of Israel set out…about six hundred thousand men on foot, not counting the
little ones. A crowd of mixed ancestry also went up with them (Ex
12:37-42).
Well, this is interesting: “a crowd of mixed ancestry.” Hebrew scholar Robert
Alter writes the most accurate English translation would be “riffraff.” I guess
that makes us all “riffraff.” Isn’t that great?! Provision: Welcome everyone!
My grandfather used to say if you go back far enough in any family, you’re
bound to find a horse thief! Heck, look at Jesus’ heritage…lots of big-time
sinners! Nationalism, white supremacy, and ethnic discrimination are not of God.
God welcomes all to his holy mountain. To do otherwise is the sin of pride,
putting ourselves above God. It’s simple: all are welcome.