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