Generosity of Spirit:

The Source of Personal Happiness (Mark 12:38-44)

The Gospel Story set for this coming week is an interesting one because it has many parallels in Buddhist, Rabbinic and ancient Greek writings. It also reminds us that the small sacrifices made by those who are poor, are, in fact, more pleasing to God than all the extravagant contributions made by those who are wealthy.

One of the best examples I came across of this short parable, is the Jewish story about a priest who scorned a woman's offering when all she had to give was a handful of flour. During the night the priest dreamed that he was rebuked by God because of the way he treated the woman. 'Despise her not:' God said to him, 'It is as though she has offered me her life^!1 It is a lovely Jewish double-edged answer that begs a new question: 'What does it mean to offer your life?'

This question is one that the Franciscan author and Counsellor/therapist, Richard Rohr, addresses in his book Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life. It is a big question that we all should ponder from time to time, because Rohr suggests it is the first big question we may struggle over during the first half of our life because it is about discovering 'Who we are and Who we are not'. It is not always an easy question for us to answer. 

 Later in life, when we may have discovered that our initial hopes and dreams for the future have not served us as well as we had hoped, we may then have the courage to see ourselves, and our hopes and dreams for our life, with new insight. Yet out Christian faith reminds us that whatever happens to us through the ups and downs of human experience, God is still with us because God will never, abandon us – even when we may loose our faith in a Divine Being. God still journeys with us through all the challenges and joys life brings. This is a promise that occurs many many times in Scripture.²

 This ability to see beyond the current moment also offers us a way to unpack this week's short Gospel story where Jesus first offers a warning to his listeners: “Do not try and copy the way the teachers of the Law behave. They loved to parade themselves in their long robes and they expect people to respect them when they meet them in the marketplace! They also demand to be given the best seats, or better still, places of honour, when they attend a banquet (v 38-40).

 In contrast Jesus applauds the courage and the open handed generosity of a poor Widow compared to the temple officials, who gave little of their wealth, while the widow gave the very last two coins she owned! (Mark 12:38-44)

The point Jesus was making in telling this parable is that her action demonstrated the radical challenge of Jesus. His way of life teaches us to walk lightly and open-handedly through the gift of our days, and to use the time and resources we are given, to develop and use them for both our enjoyment and for the greater good of others. He was also reminding those who seek to follow him that the upside down values of the Kingdom of God will inevitably be challenging because they call us to follow in the footsteps and Way of Christ, for whom the first will be last– the poor are blessed – and unless we have the trust of a little child, we will never enter the Kingdom of heaven.

 A challenging story! Yet it gives us insight into the cost and way that Jesus taught and lived. And that is not unusual! Many of the stories and teachings Jesus gave, also carried an uncomfortable challenge for his listeners. I wonder what sense or application you might make of this short parable?

 The other good thing is that we were not expected to do this alone. Later writers understood that the woman in today's story represented Sophia – who was the personification of divine wisdom. And the good news of this parable is that God walks with us, and within us, so that we might also live life open handedly, with risk and with trust:

                                " For it is in giving that we receive,
                               It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
                        and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life." ( St Francis of Assisi)

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga

May you find peace and good will on your journey.

Phil

1. https://ffoz.org/torahportions/commentary/the-poor-widow

2. See https://www.openbible.info/topics/ i_will_never_leave_you_nor_forsake

See Also Richard Rohr on the Two Halves of Life: https://www.patheos.com/

blogs/emergentvillage/2015/02/the-two-halves-of-life/

 What Do We Do in the Face of a Crisis?( Mark 10:46-52)

It is interesting that this Sunday we have another story where Jesus asks the same question: “What do you want me to do for you?” However, the two occasions couldn't be more different. Last Sunday, it was two cousins who ask Jesus for special privileges so they might share his glory, whereas this Sunday's Gospel reading (Mark 10:46-52) it is a blind beggar who asks Jesus to heal his eyes so that he might see again.

This certainly raises a question for us because we all have our hopes, worries and needs. Life never stays the same for us either. We all face times of hardship and struggle. The Psychologist Care Garednswartz (PhD) has suggested three ways that might help us to navigate such times of transition in our life and how we might transform our challenges into personal growth. She has suggested three key ways that might help us navigate such moments of transition:

1. Embrace the uncertainty you face and seek to see it as an invitation for growth and not fear.

2. Actively build resilience in your life through self-compassion and flexibility and adaptability.

3. Actively build a support group around you from people you trust that will bee there for you during times of challenge and transition. ¹

We find Gardenswartz suggestions are also embedded within this weeks Gospel story:

1. Practical: Bartimaeus was blind which made him always always at a disadvantage within his culture. But he was also a practical person. When he heard Jesus was nearby he used every means possible to attract Jesus' attention, and in doing so he received his life-changing healing. Also, rather than saying “Thanks” to Jesus for his restored sight, Bartimaeus immediately became a follower of Jesus.

   Our situation may be quite different. But today's Gospel reading suggests when faced by a crisis, the first thing we need to do is to be practical and, as hard as it may be, to explore how you might turn the situation into an opportunity for personal growth.. Bartimaeus offers us a good example. Blind Bartimaus was a practical person in-spite of his handicap. Even though he was blind, he still made sure he knew what was happening around him. In this way he made the crowd who followed Jesus into an opportunity for his own growth.

2. Psychological: As a blind beggar, sitting beside of the road, he was totally dependent upon the charity of others. Rather than remaining isolated in his blindness, he was also willing to ask anyone and everyone for information on what was happening around him, and to also ask for help when he needed assistance.

   Life is not always straight forward for us either. However, the outcome may also be dependent, in part, on our attitude and our willingness to seek appropriate help or advice when needed.

3. Spiritual: We know nothing about Bartimaeus' faith – except he knew Jesus could heal people.

   We all have our personal beliefs. These give shape to our values, and also enhance meaning in our life. They may be religious /spiritual beliefs. Or they may be based on our experiences of awe and wonder of the natural world around us. They can include the significant people with whom we share our life.

   One of the gifts a spirituality can provide, is to provide support, hope and love in times of personal crisis. It can also give us comfort and new meaning in our struggles – and new hope to face the future as Bartimaeus discovered.

4. Mystical: Spiritual beliefs often relate to things we have been taught and to the thoughts we carry in our minds. Mystical events relate to first-hand experiences of the sacred in everyday life. Bartimaeus, for example, wasn't content knowing that Jesus had healed people – he desperately wanted to experience healing for himself.

   We all have had mystical experiences. These may include falling in love, sensing the stillness in a forest or in an empty Church; holding our newborn baby for the first time, or being stunned by the beauty of a sunset. In all these moments we perceive the boundaries of our life and world are not as fixed and physical as they might appear on the surface. We may have a fleeting sense of an interconnectedness that holds everything together.

5. The Wisdom of the Sage: John C. Robinson (a clinical psychologist with a second doctorate in ministry)² suggests “We create our most mature self” as we integrate and utilize the practical knowledge and insight acquired over the years of life experience. This provides us with not only knowledge and practical and skills, but also the wisdom of one who can provide meaningful and inspiring leadership.”

   We don't know how old Bartimaeus was, but the wisdom he demonstrated was not limited to age. In many ways, the focus in the Gospel story is not the healing of Bartimaeus' physical blindness, but his response to his healing. He leaves everything to follow Jesus in a similar way that the other early disciples had done. It is also important to remember that Jesus' life was spent mainly with those who were vulnerable, poor and homeless. In this way, Bartimaeus offers us a more authentic model of what it means to be a follower of Jesus compared to James and John in last week's Gospel. James and John wanted recognition and power. However, they still had to learn that the Way of Jesus was one of service to others – especially to those who may be struggling on the fringes of our communities.

   I find that food for thought.

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga

May you find peace and good will on your journey.

Phil

_____________

1. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-discomfort-zone/202409/navigating-life-transitions-turning-change-into-opportunity2

2. https://www.johnrobinson.org/blog - Crossing Over February 11, 2021

 

Knowing What We Want

At some point in our life I am sure we have all played the game of 'Chinese Whispers' (also called 'Telephone'). Today's Gospel reading reminded me of that party game because at the end of July, when we celebrated the Feast of James and John – two key the disciples of Jesus – we had a similar Gospel reading but from the Gospel of Matthew'– however, it differed from Mark's version in several significant ways:

In Mark's version James and John approach Jesus and demand that he did whatever they asked of him. And Jesus kindly responds with a very practical question: “What is it you want me to do for you?”They asking for a place to be reserved for them in heaven so they might “sit each side on him in his Kingdom”. A bold and self-centred request one might say!

However, when Matthew wrote his account of James and John's request some 25 years later, he tells us that it was their mother who came to Jesus and she knelt before him and made a similar request for her two sons (Matthew 20:20-28). In both cases, Jesus initial response is similar. Would you say such a 'bold' self -centred request was out of order​?

Perhaps it was – perhaps it wasn't. Be that as it may, what attracted my attention was the wording of the questions Jesus asked of the disciples or of their mother because both are good questions for us to ponder as well. How would we answer that question: “What is it you want me to do for you?” What do we want for ourselves – for our family – for our Church – for our country, or our world, or for our cosmos for that matter, because they are all part of God's domain? It is a very easy question to ask – but it not always a simple question to answer.

For example: When I was studying for my degree at University, I spent a year with the Vocational Guidance Service. In those days it was part of the Government's Education Department. I recall an occasion early in my orientation week when I was invited to observe the standard way the Department would interview a budding school leaver. After the young man's personal and educational particulars had been noted, the conversation turned to his thoughts of a possible career. The budding school leaver had no idea of what he wanted to do – except leave school! In the end, with no progress being made, he was given a handful of career leaflets and invited to return when he was ready to discuss some options.

In reality, the young student's dilemma is understandable because it is not always easy to know what we really want – for ourselves, for those closest and dearest to us, or for our church community or country for that matter, because we live in an increasingly secular age with high expectations of independence. Yet the question remains: What is it that I want? What do I long for deep inside? Is it always up to me to decide? Or is there an existential answer that would change the whole orientation of my life?

We may be able to list some universal wishes, such as the abolition of war, poverty or sickness – and all those things are both important and universal needs according to the American Psychologist, Abraham Maslow, who created a common basic physical hierarchy of needs, that include such common needs such as food, clothing, housing, safety, a sense of love and belonging, respect and recognition, self confidence, independence and freedom¹. However, is that all you really want out of life? It's not really enough, is it. And Maslow would agree with you because he went on to identify other basic needs, that included:

'Cognitive needs' (such as creativity, foresight, curiosity; or our basic)

'Aesthtic needs' (such as appreciation of beauty and nature; or the opportunity to realise our full potential).

Later he included our basic human need for Transcendence which enables us to open and give ourselves to something beyond ourself as we are enabled to put our “own needs aside, to a great extent, in favor of service to others and to some higher force or cause conceived as being outside the personal self”.¹

Certainly, Maslow's list invites us to pause and consider what is it – deep down – that we really want and long for during our life here on planet earth?

We are not alone in pondering this question, because it is the same question that is asked a number of times in the Gospels, and one that Jesus asks of us in this week's Gospel reading. It's also an important question, because knowing what we want in life will influence the way we live and make our choices. It can also open the door to new possibilities, hopes and dreams.

So, then, how would you answer the question asked by Jesus: What do you want me to do for you? Or to re-frame the question, What do I expect God to do for me?

Do you believe or expect God to do anything for you?

Or are we responsible with our gifts and experiences to sort out a life for ourselves?

Let me close this blog with these words written by

 The Monks of New Skete: 

 

In the Spirit of Happiness

The God who sees into our depths,

who knows us as we really are,

isn't interested in some phoney fantasy

of what we think we are.

God is interested in us as we really are.

It's only when we try to own ourselves in our totality,

when we respond to life as it truly is,

that we can truly relate to God.

That's the work of spiritual journey.

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga

May you find peace and good will on your journey.

Phil

 

¹ Maslow's hierarchy of needs: https://

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs

 Living in Uncertain Times

We live in uncertain and troubled times. We see evidence of this in the ongoing unrest and increasing violence in the Middle East, for example, which also carries the risk of causing more people to flee from their homes as the war spreads, as other countries become involved.

At the same time, our world faces the impact of changing weather patterns, natural disasters, storms, fires, droughts and flooding. In the midst of all that is happening in our world, this weeks Gospel reading from Mark 10:17-31 raises the challenging question of 'Where (or on what) do we focus our attention in these changing times?' And the reason this question is important is because as Jesus states elsewhere: where our treasure is - there our heart will be also” ¹

Jesus raises this question in the context of a young man who approached him and wanted to know “What must I do to inherit Eternal Life?” Apparently he was very wealthy and had been trying to studiously keep all the religious rules and regulations that were expected of a good Jew. Yet it wasn't giving him any sense of fulfilment or purpose. To complicate matters even further, the Jewish authorities were inconsistent in their advice and teaching. For example:

According to the first century Jewish historian and military leader Flavius Josephus, there were 24 different Jewish sects in and around Jerusalem and they had a range of differing views. There were those who believed our physical body would rise again as mentioned in the prophet Isaiah 26:19: “Your dead will live, their bodies will rise.” While another group taught that we have two bodies. In this life we inhabit a physical body, and when we die we will continue to live in “disembodied bliss” in a spiritual body. Another group believed that the gift of life is passed through us into our children, or the gift of life is carried within their Jewish faith and society as God's chosen people. And so the young man's confusion, and the question he asked of Jesus was both real and understandable. However, Jesus didn't answer his question! Instead he redirected the man's attention back to the present moment, and he invited him to reflect on the way he was already living out his life, content with taking one day at a time.

I recently watched a lecture by Richard Rohr based on his book 'Falling Upward' ². He suggested that in life, we have two important tasks: The first is to create a sense of self as we explore the two questions “Who Am I?“ and“Who am I not ?” These are important questions because they apply to the way we form and ultimately live out our life. Yet whatever answer we may hold will inevitably be incomplete! Because it usually lacks depth. However, if we don't grow beyond this stage, we may spend the rest of our lives defending our chosen way of life –which brings us back to today's Gospel.

In the story of the Rich Young Man, Jesus tries to help his listeners (including us) to to reflect upon the way we also live our lives – because life is always more than simply a 'me – first' attitude. So Jesus took a familiar example from the local landscape.

When planing to build a new home, would you ever think of building it upon the shifting and unstable sand of the desert – or would you choose to follow the wisdom of those who are seasoned builders, and build it upon a sold rock base?

In telling this parable, Jesus encouraged the young man (and us) to realise that deciding to become one of his disciples, will never protect us from life's storms, nor from other trials we may encounter over the years. However, when we do experience these dark and painful moments – God will never abandon us. God promises he will always be with us through every step, and moment, of our life. When we choose to place our faith and trust in him, will will find a peace, and we will find the strength, and we will find the ability, to stand and not fall, because we have built our life upon the firm foundation of God's love for us. (See Deuteronomy 31:8.)

This divine promise doesn't mean we will not have our struggles, nor our heart aches and our hard choices, because growing up often involves leaving the familiar behind – and we have all experienced that process! When we are born for example, or when we began our schooling or employment. However, Jesus also never promised us that life would always be easy.

Carl Jung, who was one of the most influential psychologists in history, once wrote: “we will all experience suffering because it is a necessary part to being a human being”. He goes on to suggest that when suffering “is not understood that it becomes hard to bear, while on the other hand it is often astounding to see how much a person can endure when (they) understand the why and the wherefore.” ³

Of cause, as you may all ready know first-hand, we all experience our own painful moments. Some may have forced us to grow-up and in the process we begin to see life differently. Some of these moments may have challenged us to the core of our faith and our beliefs. Yet the call of Jesus in this gospel reading is for us to learn to hold things lightly and allow our faith not to guide us through these life experiences, because the God who created us doesn't call us to be ordinary, but to recognise and to know that we are created and held in his image and likeness.

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga

May you find peace and goodwill on your journey.

Phil

¹ Matthew 6:21

² Father Richard Rohr "Falling Upward Video”:

J1kXeklcmMIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1kXeklcmMI

³ Carl Jung, CW 18, Para 1578: https://carljungdepthpsychologysite.blog/2020/02/12/suffering-7/

 When Relationships Go Wrong         

As I reflected on this week's Gospel reading from Mark 10:2-16, I was reminded how 'life' confronts us with a variety of human social issues. Some of these arise out of our relationships with other human beings. These may include the people we live with, or work with, or those who have been part of our past. Mark introduces this topic in his Gospel by having Jesus leaving the familiarity of his home town in Galilee to 'walk on new ground' in the the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. And it is there amongst a different group of people compared to the critical religious leaders of Jerusalem that he begins to broach the very personal topic of how we develop and use the gift of human relationships, and what do we do when relationships begin to fail? Mark includes Jesus teaching on topics such as human lust, inappropriate touching and divorce – all seemingly perennial human problems – which reminded me of a story I came across by Dr Kenneth Boa who is a writer, teacher, speaker, and a mentor.

It is a story about two identical twin sisters who married two identical twin brothers. Not long after their joint weddings, the brothers went off to war, and both fought together, and both suffered gross facial disfigurement from a fuel dump explosion. After their initial hospitalisation and cosmetic surgery, they were sent home to be nursed by their respective wives. Their burns had caused both brothers to lose their original facial features.

The reaction of their wives was quite different. One could not bear to look at her disfigured husband and busied herself around the home, avoiding her husband as much as possible. Eventually, as the relationship broke down, she left and divorced him due to 'irreconcilable differences'.

The other wife made a different choice. She spent most of her husband's waking time beside his bed, holding his hand, and learning to look beyond the scarred face to the man she had fallen in love with and married. Then one morning, she knelt beside his bedside and asked him if he would like to renew their wedding vows. She now knew that while the outer man was different, he was still the same person inside, seen with the eyes of her soul.

Boa suggests, that we all have an innate ability to 'see' beyond the visible externals and to gaze upon what is unseen within another person when we learn to look with the eyes of our soul. We also have the same potential to 'see' beyond the physical world to the hidden spiritual presence within all things. And as we learn to see creation, including human life, in this way:

God becomes very real to us in our inmost centre because we are engaged in an intuitive personal relationship with an infinite, personal God.

 As I reflected on this Gospel reading, I thought of Boa's quote above, because it seemed to me that discerning God's call is not always straight forward – nor easy for us to understand or experience¹. The Benedictine Sister, Anita Louise Lowe offers us some help here when she suggested there are Four basic steps that may help us with our discernment:

 First we need to become aware of what is actually happening in our human, day to day life – and also in our spiritual/devotional life. This may not be as easy nor automatic as we may think, because we need to also include the events we are struggling with or may have contributed to where we are now in our spiritual/devotional life. If so, you may also find the following exercise will help you to clarify what is actually unfolding for you.

Reflect on any feelings that arises from this situation. How has this event affected you? How does it affect other people in your family, social, or workplace group? It may be helpful (and sometimes essential) that you talk the situation with someone you trust and whose wisdom your respect – it may be an experienced Spiritual Director or Counsellor for example.

 Make a decision, then look for confirmation – we need to be adaptable – and sometimes creative in doing this – because we do not always see nor understand everything that has been involved in the situation you are facing.

 And remember that for us to hear, or even to become aware of God's call, involves an openness of of heart and mind. I remember my father often quoting the proverb – “There are 'none so deaf as those who wont hear” when he asked me to do something (which I had forgotten to do) and especially when I offered the excuse “I didn't hear you, Dad!” .

Learning to listen, and to hear what is being said, whether by a person or by God – (or even to ourselves) – is a skill that begins with a willingness of heart and often includes:

1. taking the time to be still,

2. a willingness to be open and receptive

 3. and the willingness to learn to respond to the whispers and the nudges of your heart.

When we look at the life of Jesus in the gospels, we find before every major decision Jesus would go off alone to pray. He did this prior to choosing the 12 apostles, or in preparation for his Passion and death. It's similar for us – we also need time to be alone, so that we may learn to sense and recognise God’s voice in the whispers of our heart and mind, and in the wisdom and experience we have accumulated over the years – but also in the opinion of those who know us well and whose wisdom we trust.

The Jesuit, Paul Campbell once observed, “the risk of 'mere busyness, will often divorced us from the realities of God's creation” but he also went on to say”

When I sense my life is held in God's hands,

and I am in an intimate relationship with Christ,

I am capable of approaching all of reality

from a contemplatives perspective,

no matter how many things I have to work on during the day.²

The art is learning to hear God's voice echoing in mine

that brings light and peace into my life.” 

 

 Learning to listen is the first step. The second is to discern 

what we have sensed – which is often a two-way street. That

 is why people who know us well can often help us to sort, sift 

and reflect on our options and choices, and on our strengths 

and hazards. They can also encouraged and support us to be 

open to the God who created us and who continuously asks 

each of us individually, as Jesus asked of Andrew and the 

other disciple in John's Gospel, “What are you seeking?”

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga

May you find peace and goodwill on your journey.

Phil

Footnotes:

1. See Luke 4:28-29

2. Retrieved from https://www.ignatianspirituality.com

 

St Michael and All Angels

This coming Sunday, September 29^th, is the Feast of St Michael and All Angels. The origin of this celebration dates back to 5^th century, although the earliest surviving mention of St Michael was in Jewish writings of the third and second-century-BC.

St Michael is one of only three angels mentioned by name in the Bible –and the name 'Michael' means “the one who is like God. His name also occurs only three times in the Old Testament book of Daniel⁽¹⁾ and twice in the New Testament: once in the letter of Jude (v 9), and once in the book of Revelation⁽²⁾. The other two named angels mentioned in the Bible are Gabriel and Raphael. This meant it was only until popular, late Jewish and early Christian devotion that a growing appreciation of Michael's role and place within Christian devotion flourished and considered him to be the greatest of all the angels.⁽³⁾

Such popularity soon led to a variety of customs and beliefs and these have continued to grow over the following centuries. It became common in the medieval period, for example, for people to dress up as knights and dragons and re-enact the battle of St Michael defeating the Dragon or to celebrate other local customs and traditions that became associated with St Michael.

Because of this growing popularity of St Michael it wasn't long before numerous churches throughout the world chose to name and place their church under the patronage and prayers of St Michael and All Angels.⁽²⁾ This growing popularity resulted in:

• The formal naming of September 29^th as St Michael and All Angels' Day and setting it aside as a special day of rest and it also carried the expectation that the faithful to attend Church and abstain from work and recreation.

• Other more domestic and local customs also started to occur. For example, roast goose (which was a luxury food in medieval times) became the standard food for St Michael's day .

• Because St Michael's day fell at the beginning of the Northern Autumn, and the start of the academic year, increasing number of English Universities and schools began to refer to the new term of study as the Michaelmas term.

• And because 'St Michael's day also coincided with the northern harvest season, it soon became customary for people to offer special acts of charity and goodwill to the poor in their community.

• For those living in the Southern hemisphere other themes and customs began to appear, such as the importance for developing one's personal spiritual wisdom, or the emphasis on personal and environmental gratitude and protection.

But for us now, how does this mediaeval festival resonate with us? I live in New Zealand, in a time when attending Sunday Services is on the decline. However, scattered across our country we still have a number of Churches dedicated to St Michael. While attendance may not be what they were in the past, they still stand as silent reminders of this festival day, and perhaps they also give us pause to reflect on the ways that we have been protect, guarded and blessed by God grace – not just for our own sake, but that we might become channels of God's love and grace to others as this day has been for many people of the past. For example:

Angels are messengers – and in scripture they announced to Elizabeth that she would give birth to John the Baptist; and the Archangel Gabriel visited also to Mary tell her that she will give birth to Jesus. I wonder what God is wanting to say to us? What is God seeking to birth within us?

Angels are worshippers – what do you value most in your life? How do you express your feelings of reverence and adoration?

Angels are defenders – Traditionally, they guard us against harm, both physical and spiritual. Whom do we need to protect, or to support, or love and care for?

Perhaps we might also remember the encouragement people have found in Michael the Archangel – and perhaps we too might also recognise the importance in today's changing world a willingness to offer support and protection to those who are most vulnerable, and to those who are struggling in our local community.

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga

May you find peace and goodwill on your journey.

Phil

_____________________________

(1) Daniel 10:21 & 12:1

(2) Revelation Chapter 12: 7-

(3) Richard Freeman Johnson (2005), Saint Michael the Archangel in medieval English legend, Boydell

Press, p. 105, ISBN 1-84383-128-7, retrieved 11 July 2010

Who Is The Greatest?

This week's Gospel reading comes from Mark 9:30-37 where Jesus foretells his death and resurrection. However the disciples fail to appreciate what he is saying and begin to argue over which one of them is the greatest. Jesus responds with great sensitivity as he takes a little child and says that whoever welcomes one such child (in his name) welcomes both Christ and also the God of creation. It is not so much about who we are – rather it is about our values and the way we live these out in our day to day life.

In his book 'Practicing Compassion in a Violent World' Frank Rogers ⁽¹⁾ illustrates this principle by relating the story of a man named Raul Torres who lived in a small town in USA. One night his wife tragically died in her sleep from a stroke. Understandably, life came to an abrupt stop for Raul. He was naturally filled with grief and decided to would retire from the world and filled his days instead sitting for hours on his porch in the seat his wife had used. Then one day he decided rather than simply sitting, remembering and grieving for his wife, he would do something creative and turn his garden into a memorial garden in memory of her.

It was a slow task but he finally transformed his section into a fabulous display of flowers, herbs and vegetables. He saved the best for the front garden which he filled with beautiful roses – his wife's favourite flower. He also discovered, through the transformation of his garden, a whole new focus for his life.

Then one morning he was horrified to discover that someone had destroyed several of his rose bushes. Then two days later it happened again. He was naturally distraught and began to keep watch from his front window. It wasn't long before he saw a local lad, from a family with many social and gang related issues, slowly limp along the footpath towards his house. When he reached Roul's garden he used his walking stick to attack another of the rose bushes. When the boy looked up and saw Roul watching him from his window, he simply stared back before quickly limping away.

Roul's instinct was to chase him, or to call the police. However, Roul also noticed the haunted look in the boy's eyes. It gave Roul pause to stop and think on whether there was a better and more creative way to handle the situation.

Later that afternoon, Roul saw the boy limping back up the street and went out to meet him. The boy glared at Roul, and when Roul said someone was destroying his rose bushes, the boy insisted it wasn't him. Roul said to the boy that he wasn't blaming him – rather that he needed someone to help him to protect the roses. He also needed someone to help him with his garden. He was willing to pay the boy and let him have an area of his garden that he could use for himself, and would show him how to grow plants and vegetables, if he was interested.

The boy didn't commit himself but the next Saturday he arrived, and in the end, stayed for most of the day when Roul paid and thanked him for his time. The next Saturday the boy was back, and he kept coming every Saturday – and the roses were never vandalized again. The boy is now an adult and runs an inner city youth programme that offers kids an alternative to gang life.

Compassion, says Rogers, is a spiritual path that flows from the knowledge that:

1) we are all held in the sacred presence of God's Compassion

2) with all our failures and imperfections, God loves us totally and unconditionally

3) God invites us to be part of that compassionate healing force that can renew the life of our world.

Rogers suggests that compassion has a 2 stage process that begins first with us as we allow ourselves to become grounded when faced with a challenging situation by;

1. Stopping – pausing - catching our breath – and not reacting

2. Becoming aware of our own reaction

3. Seeking to understand what is happening, and extending a loving attention to the situation

4. Then widening our attention to God's healing, helping, presence that surrounds you as you seek to embody that presence

Only then are we able to meaningfully ask:

What is going on for that other person – as we learn to see their reaction as their cry of pain. For when we have reconnected with God's love in us are we enabled to become a channel of understanding, and loving regard towards them as God's presence is enabled to flow through us to the person in some practical way. More importantly, we need to remember that this is a way of small steps.

In today's Gospel reading we hear how the disciples learn from Jesus that he will be betrayed, arrested, and die. They naturally reacted with fear. What would the future hold in store for them – what happen to them when Jesus was no longer with them? They had left everything to follow him. Should they run and hide now, or wait to be killed​? In their confusion and fear they were afraid to ask Jesus and so they turned inward and argued with one another about who was the greatest?

But what did Jesus do? He didn't criticise them for their fear, their uncertainty or lack of commitment. He sat down and talked to them, and he took a child that was playing near them and used the child as a focus. Whatever will happen – Jesus promises them – I will never leave you – I will always be with you, because “I am” is already within you! And I will always come to you – perhaps under guise of another person, yet all you need to do is to be aware and open your eyes, and your mind, for I am with you always (Matthew 28:20) – or to quote a Sufi saying:

When the mystery of God is revealed to you,

you will understand that God has always been in you....

Then you will see all your actions to be His actions

and your essence to be His essence....

There is nothing except His Face, for

"whithersoever you turn, there you will see the Face of God."

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga May you find peace and goodwill on your journey.

Phil

(1) Frank Rogers was the Professor of Spiritual Formation at Claremont School of Theology