Sept. 30, 2018: 26th Sunday B
Sept. 30, 2018: 26th Sunday B
In your opinion, what types of people seek after God? Is it only those with religious upbringing or the ones brought up as Christians? A religious sister shared her experience of attending a symposium for religious sisters. The theme for the convention was, “Be prophetic witnesses in the world.” At the convention center, there were more than 500 sisters from 60 religious orders. There were two other conventions going on simultaneously at the facility. One was a cheerleading convention, and the other was a tattoo and body art convention. As she passed by the booths at cheerleading convention, she was struck by the human desire to encourage someone in their efforts and a desire to tell someone that we are with them in their endeavor. When she was walking by the tattoo and body art convention, a young woman with tattoos all over her body was passing by the sister but with her head turned away, hoping to avoid the gaze of the religious sister. The sister, as she looked on the young woman, remarked, “That’s amazing!” The young woman breathed a sigh of relief and struck a conversation with the sister. The woman told the sister that beauty is fleeting, nothings lasts, and that no one sees it again. As the sister was listening to the young woman’s explanation about why she wears art on her body, she was struck by the young woman’s desire for permanence, commitment, and a great desire for infinite beauty that does not pass away.
The deepest desires of our hearts--whether a Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or atheist--is to belong, to be loved and cherished. God has placed this profound longing in all of his children. Yet do we see others with such an attitude or are we excluding others who are not ‘one of us?’ Mahatma Gandhi was once attracted to Christianity and decided to attend a church service in Calcutta, India to learn about Jesus. At the entrance of the church, ushers stopped him to inform him that only the high caste Indians and whites were allowed in. Since Gandhi belonged to neither category, he was turned away. Was the Christian church living out its mission when it excluded a man whose desire was to get to know Jesus?
The mark of a Christian is to see others through the eyes of the Heavenly Father. Even though they may not agree with our theology, values, or lifestyle, the goodness of God is present and active in them. Do we recognize that God works through all kinds of people? During many catastrophes we find people of all walks of life - believers and nonbelievers - coming together to relieve the suffering of others. I’m certain that during the aftermath of the 2016 flood, had someone said “I don’t believe in your church but I want to help”, that none of us would have turned him away. So, are we we judging and excluding people or throwing up roadblocks in their way because they don’t necessarily agree with our beliefs or point of view? When Our Lord learned that disciples stopped a man from performing exorcism in Jesus’ name because he didn’t belong to the disciple’s group, Jesus admonished them not to prevent him. Like the disciples, we can overlook the good work that God is accomplishing through others because they seem to not belong to ‘one of us.’
The Gospel calls us to reflect on our attitudes and behavior. Does it reflect Our Lord’s inclusive love? The religious sister who recognized the beauty and goodness in the young woman with tattoos allowed herself to be an instrument to radiate God’s gentle compassion. Through our baptism, we have been called to be another Christ to others. “Be the prophetic witnesses in the world.” We are not only to be good persons but to be a brother or sister to others, regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or political views; to be a prophet means to proclaim in words and actions that Our Lord Jesus Christ came to save and redeem all through his passion, death, and resurrection. Discipleship to Jesus is not some personal privilege to be jealously guarded. We are called to recognize and appreciate the good work of the Holy Spirit done in others.
In your opinion, what types of people seek after God? Is it only those with religious upbringing or the ones brought up as Christians? A religious sister shared her experience of attending a symposium for religious sisters. The theme for the convention was, “Be prophetic witnesses in the world.” At the convention center, there were more than 500 sisters from 60 religious orders. There were two other conventions going on simultaneously at the facility. One was a cheerleading convention, and the other was a tattoo and body art convention. As she passed by the booths at cheerleading convention, she was struck by the human desire to encourage someone in their efforts and a desire to tell someone that we are with them in their endeavor. When she was walking by the tattoo and body art convention, a young woman with tattoos all over her body was passing by the sister but with her head turned away, hoping to avoid the gaze of the religious sister. The sister, as she looked on the young woman, remarked, “That’s amazing!” The young woman breathed a sigh of relief and struck a conversation with the sister. The woman told the sister that beauty is fleeting, nothings lasts, and that no one sees it again. As the sister was listening to the young woman’s explanation about why she wears art on her body, she was struck by the young woman’s desire for permanence, commitment, and a great desire for infinite beauty that does not pass away.
The deepest desires of our hearts--whether a Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or atheist--is to belong, to be loved and cherished. God has placed this profound longing in all of his children. Yet do we see others with such an attitude or are we excluding others who are not ‘one of us?’ Mahatma Gandhi was once attracted to Christianity and decided to attend a church service in Calcutta, India to learn about Jesus. At the entrance of the church, ushers stopped him to inform him that only the high caste Indians and whites were allowed in. Since Gandhi belonged to neither category, he was turned away. Was the Christian church living out its mission when it excluded a man whose desire was to get to know Jesus?
The mark of a Christian is to see others through the eyes of the Heavenly Father. Even though they may not agree with our theology, values, or lifestyle, the goodness of God is present and active in them. Do we recognize that God works through all kinds of people? During many catastrophes we find people of all walks of life - believers and nonbelievers - coming together to relieve the suffering of others. I’m certain that during the aftermath of the 2016 flood, had someone said “I don’t believe in your church but I want to help”, that none of us would have turned him away. So, are we we judging and excluding people or throwing up roadblocks in their way because they don’t necessarily agree with our beliefs or point of view? When Our Lord learned that disciples stopped a man from performing exorcism in Jesus’ name because he didn’t belong to the disciple’s group, Jesus admonished them not to prevent him. Like the disciples, we can overlook the good work that God is accomplishing through others because they seem to not belong to ‘one of us.’
The Gospel calls us to reflect on our attitudes and behavior. Does it reflect Our Lord’s inclusive love? The religious sister who recognized the beauty and goodness in the young woman with tattoos allowed herself to be an instrument to radiate God’s gentle compassion. Through our baptism, we have been called to be another Christ to others. “Be the prophetic witnesses in the world.” We are not only to be good persons but to be a brother or sister to others, regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or political views; to be a prophet means to proclaim in words and actions that Our Lord Jesus Christ came to save and redeem all through his passion, death, and resurrection. Discipleship to Jesus is not some personal privilege to be jealously guarded. We are called to recognize and appreciate the good work of the Holy Spirit done in others.
