Hopes & Plans Part 2

In my last Blog (Hopes & Plans for 2025) we explored some of the implications of Jesus' radical teaching as recorded in Mark's Gospel. We also explored some of the implications of Jesus' teaching for his listeners, both in his day, as well for us in our daily life.

However, daily life with all it's demands and activities, is not always straight forward, nor easy. We are often faced with the need for patience and the willingness to help others; to understand their needs and struggles. And while seeking to practice gratitude and empathy it does take time and it is also not always easy!

I recently came across an example of this online. The author suggested that having a 'Me-First' attitude wasn't selfish because it involved self-preservation. But the article went on to recommend if we are not looking after ourselves: mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally, it will be hard, if not impossible for us to meet the demands made upon us, during the course of our daily life.

After my initial uncertainty, I realized there is a reality in what was being suggested – and I suspect you also know that only too well – because the need to 'look after ourselves first' attitude is not new. The people living in Jesus' day also struggled with similar challenges. For example, Luke in his Gospel mentioned several situations where Jesus invited a person to 'Come and follow him'¹. However, as much as they would have like to have accepted his invitation, they realized they needed to deal with some significant family issues first. One person, for example, needed to arrange the funeral for his father. Another person wanted to inform his family before accepting Jesus' invitation! Both reasonable requests I thought! However, Jesus had different ideas and was far more emphatic! If they didn't accept his invitation right then, they were not fit to become his follower!

What Jesus was suggesting, in Luke's Gospel (chapter 6), is that while the realities of life will inevitably vary for people, we all face the challenge of complacency. It makes no difference whether we are wealthy and can have whatever want – or if we poor and often go without even the basic necessaries of life. What I understand as the subtext here, is when we make excuses, are we aware of what we are saying and not saying?

A little like the comment made by Shakespeare:

There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat,
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures. ²

In Jesus day, poverty, hardship, health issues, and family commitments, were all part of his listeners daily life – and maybe it is the same for you?

Jesus wasn't denying the reality of this, rather as I read it, he was reminding us to choose carefully before we commit ourselves to someone's invitation, wants or needs. This is not being ungracious or selfish. It is so we avoid becoming the passive victim to other people's demands. Jesus actually goes further. He sought to encourage his listeners to reflect upon what do they really want out of life?' 'What were their hopes?' 'What longing burnt in their hearts and minds?' They are also good questions for us to consider as well because while God knows and understands our thoughts and needs. And while economic poverty does have its challenges – so does wealth. Yet Jesus takes us one step further.

God was and is on the side of those who struggle with the realities of life... and Jesus invites his listeners (and us as well) to 'To lift our vision above the reality of the life we live'. To go beyond – to do more than love those who love us – and to ground our hopes and actions on a firm foundation

        that is inclusive

            and life-giving

                to those we live with and meet.

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

May you find peace and good will on your journey.

Phil

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¹Luke 9:57-62 “Would Be Followers of Jesus

²Julius Caesar Act 4, Scene 3, Line 249

 

Hopes & Plans for 2025

Recently I was looking at some of the Hopes, Plans and Priorities Governments have had in New Zealand over the years. One example I came across included the following:

To grow a strong economy that supports everyone.

To reducing costs and put more money in people’s pockets.

To make housing more affordable for both renters and first-home buyers.

To tackle climate changes.

To rebuild the economy.

To ensure every community is a safe place to live, work and raise a family.

To have a world-class Healthcare system that every person can access.

To ensure an education system that provides every student the best chance to succeed.

To build a country where all people are able to work in partnership.

They are big and important hopes! But as we are well know, there is always a challenging balance between individual responsibility and Governmental provision. This is not a new phenomenon because it was also present in the time that Jesus lived.

Take, for example, Luke's Gospel. Luke was a far more radical author and disciple of Jesus than any of the other New Testament writers except for the author of the Epistle of James¹. I suggest that because Luke included more social justice sayings of Jesus than any other author in the time he lived.

Luke also emphasised how Jesus' life and ministry was totally inclusive – it was open to all people, regardless of gender or national identity – whereas the other three Gospels focused more on the spiritual sayings of Jesus that inspired personal hope and redemption as they faced a rapidly changing world.

This difference in emphasis and inclusiveness is important to remember when we come to Luke's version of the Beatitudes, because Luke's version is quite different to the more familiar list recorded in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 5:1-11). Once we are alerted to the differences in our Gospels – we will note other differences, for example, Luke emphasises how:

1. Jesus takes time for prayer – as a way to remind us that prayer and action go together – they are two sides of the 'same coin'.

2. Jesus did not act alone – he began his public ministry by inviting a community of people to share his life, and to actively support his ministry, and ultimately, to continue and develop his work.

3. In contrast to the Religious leaders of his day, Jesus actively sought out the poor, the lost, and the lonely, as a central focus for his ministry.

4. Jesus also affirmed that we are already 'Blessed'! The challenge for us is to learn to see, and expect to see and appreciate, the implications of this in our daily life. This is important, because the call of Jesus for all of us is to continue his work and his life in the places where we live. Knowing that we are blessed by God will also help us to understand that the Kingdom of God is already within us. Waiting for us to open our own spiritual eyes and ears so we might live and share that graced awareness and knowledge. Jesus spells out this awareness a little more later in Luke's Gospel. when addressing the crowds and why he so often painted word pictures – or parables – to help people remember and grasp the depth of insight and truth he was sharing from his own experience – in the hope that we also may have the openness of heart and mind lest we continually miss the point of why he came:

‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

For this people’s heart has become calloused;

they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears, understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.’

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear' (Mark 4;10-13).

We see this also in Luke's Gospel after his Resurrection. Luke is the only one of the four gospel writers to include the story of the walk to Emmaus. It is a story that reveals to us not only something about who we are, but also about how Jesus seeks to open our eyes so we might to see and understand Him for who He is, and also how we may come to know Him.

We also live in changing times. As we begin to move further into our New Year I wonder what dreams, Goals and Visions you have for 2025? What will you do differently? How will you turn those dreams into reality?

Often it is by quiet, and consistent effort that our hopes and plans can be fulfilled. We see this in the way Jesus would often find a quiet time and place, where he could shut out the world and spend time with the God who created him and continually supported him. He also no doubt reflected upon his hopes and his mission.

Richard Rohr in his memorable book “A Spring Within Us” mentions that:

God is creating Real Presence all the time and inviting us into Mutual Presence.

The good news is that we don't have to work it all out – we don't have to be perfect. But we are invited to stay connected to the Source by Jesus:

“If you remain in me and I remain in you –for I am the vine and you are the branches... if you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish and it will be done for you”. (John 15:v1,7).

So what dreams are tugging at your heart? It usually takes us one step at a time to understand these dreams and which ones are realistic and those that are not. But similar to Jesus, it is the small steps we make today that will lead us forward, step by step – and Jesus still walks beside us!

Jesus did believe in himself – as revealed in the many “I Am” statements he made. They remind us, I believe, that we too should not underestimate the power of believing in one's self: because:

We can do all things through him who strengthens us”

Philippians 4:13

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

May you find peace and good will on your journey.

Phil.

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Footnote:

¹ ANGELO LOPEZ BLOG (https://angelolopez.wordpress.com/2015/01/06/the-gospel-of-luke-and-social-justice/

Choices... And Their Implications

 

I wonder if you have seen the film 'Brooklyn'? It's set in 1952, and tells the story of a young Irish woman named Aylias who immigrated from Ireland to Brooklyn, USA. However, her initial excitement soon turned to homesickness... but as time passed she gradually settled into her new surroundings and made friends. However, her past finally catches up with her, and she has to choose between returning to Ireland or staying in America.

As I watched the story unfold I found myself being drawn into the drama (as all good movies can), and when it ended I found myself feeling a bit 'rung out' emotionally. Later, as I reflected on why the film affected me so, I realized it had raised for me some of the big questions of life, such as

'What were my hopes and plans when I was younger?'

'What have been the implications of choices I have made?'

'Where do I find my sense of belonging?'

Behind all these questions there lies an even the bigger question that lurks in the shadows of our life, such as:

'Who am I?'; 'Does my life now match up with my former hopes and dreams?'; 'What will happen to me when I grow old?'

With these thoughts in mind, I began to look at our readings set for this coming Sunday. I discovered they also touched on similar themes because they speak about the moments of choice that confront people in life, and some of the the decisions we face will require a similar courage to the challenges and choices Aylias faced in the Brooklyn film.

In the readings set for this week(1), we hear that Isaiah, Paul and Peter all faced a similar conundrum that required courage, if they were to to stay true to their destiny – and courage also to respond to God's call on their life.

The big question they faced – and we also may face at various points in our life – is 'How do I know for sure that this is the right choice for me to make?' And yet, we are not alone when faced with these uncertainties and fears. The readings set for this coming week, remind us that God also needs us – God needs our hands and our feet, our faith and our hopes, and ultimately our lives – in a similar way that God had needed Mary and Joseph to be the earthly parents of Jesus.

It may be helpful to remember that neither Mary or Joseph didn't at first welcomed the news the Angel Gabriel delivered. I also wondered how Paul reacted when confronted by God on the road to Damascus as mentioned in the second reading for this coming Sunday? (1 Corinthians 15:1-11). His radical conversion transformed changed his life forever. It also meant he would have lost the status and power he had enjoyed as a conservative Pharisee, as well as the support and company of his former colleagues and friends.

In the Gospel story for this coming Sunday (Luke 5:1-11) we will also hear of Simon-Peter's conversion – and how, after he had spent the whole night in fruitless fishing, he headed back to shore tired, disgruntled and no doubt longing for his meal and bed. Then he sees Jesus standing at the sea shore obviously waiting for him! And as he moored his boat, Jesus calls out: 'Wait up Peter! ('If you don't mind') 'I want to use your boat as a teaching pulpit'! Then a little while later when Peter is about to head home: 'Wait up Peter – why don't you go take me out out fishing?'

At that point Peter's patience cracks: He was tired. He was hungry. He was wet. All he wanted to do was to go home... and have his dinner and no doubt go to sleep... But something made him do what Jesus was asking – and he had the courage to let go and he became not only a follower of Jesus but also one of the most prominent figures in the early church.

William Alexander Percy, an American Lawyer and Poet, retells the story of the disciples choice to become a follower of Jesus with these words:

They cast their nets in Galilee

just off the hills of brown;

such happy, simple fisherfolk,

before the Lord came down.

Contented, peaceful fishermen,

be/ore they ever knew

the peace of God that filled their hearts

brim full, and broke them too.

Young John who trimmed the flapping sail,

homeless in Patmos died,

Peter, who hauled the teeming net,

head-down was crucified.

The peace of God, it is no peace,

but strife closed in the sod,

Yet let us pray for but one thing --

the marvelous peace of God.

The Good News of today's readings is that God wants and needs us... and in return, God will never leave or abandon us; as the Dominican, Bede Jarett, O.P. mentions in this poem:

Life is unending because love is undying

and the boundaries of this life are but an horizon

and an horizon is but the limit of our vision.

Lift us up, strong Son of God, that we may see further.

Strengthen our faith that we may see beyond the horizon.

So what is God asking of you? What is God asking of us as a Church... and as a nation? And in what ways are we being asked to trust and put out into deep water ?

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.Readings set for 9th February, 2025

Isaiah 6:1-8, (9-13); 1Corrinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11

Living the Faith we Know

 

Living the Faith we Know

All of us would have experienced times when things happen to us for which there are no simple answers. As time passes, we may be able to gain some understanding – but not always, and the situation, the way we responded to it, just sits there as a painful unanswered question. In time we may find the initial pain has passed, but the questions it raised still remain.

We all carry our own internal wounds and bruises, and these often can cause us to re-frame our understanding of life – and perhaps of people, or of the Church, or of our faith in who Jesus and God is – or was – for us.

Certainly we are not alone in those moments, although often it is not until we actually share our doubts and struggles, our pains and heartbreaks, that we are able to understand them in a different light.

I say all this as an introduction to the readings set for this coming Sunday ^1, because in each reading we find that same principle tucked away. For example, it was only when Ezra started to translate, or re frame, their sacred texts, that his listeners started to understand them with new insight. Similarly, with St.Paul, he often reminds us in his writings that we actually need each other, because we are all interconnected. For example, in Romans 12:5 he writes: “So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another”. It is as we recognize this, and have the courage to learn to live that insight, we find new strength and purpose in working together. We find a similar truth unfolding in the Luke's Gospel reading set for this Sunday.

Luke wrote his Gospel sometime in the early decades of the second century. He was writing to people who had been through enormous suffering. For example:

• They had experienced the destruction of all they held sacred: their homes, their livelihood, their city of Jerusalem that included their Temple.

• They had experienced relentless persecution under two Roman emperors.

• Many of their Christian leaders had been martyred – including James, Peter, Paul, and Simeon (who was Jesus cousin and bishop of Jerusalem),

• They had seen families torn apart and betrayed, some dying horrific deaths.

In response to all this suffering – they asked similar questions to ones we might ask:

• Why? Why is this happening to us – when Jesus promised to always be with us?

• Where was God when we needed God the most?

• What have we done to deserve this?

• How do I, will I, continue to live and find meaning and purpose?

It is when we read Luke's Gospel with this in mind we discover a number of things we might have otherwise missed.

For example,

• Luke mentions the marginalized, the oppressed, and those who suffer more than any other Gospel.

• Luke alone records that Jesus is born in a stable – because there was nowhere else.

• The first to hear the good news of his birth were the outcast shepherds.

• We also find that Luke includes more stories of sickness and those in need as compared to the other Gospels. For example:

• In Luke 7 we have the story of a mother whose son has died

• In Luke 10 we have the story of a traveler who is set upon by robbers who wounded and robbed him and left him to die. He received no help and support from the religious leaders who were also traveling the same road, yet a passing foreigner stops and risks his life to offer the man help – and in doing so, he alone reveals the love and compassion of God.

• In Luke 15 we have another parable, this time of a father whose son rejects him and wishes him dead by demanding now his share of his father's inheritance – and goes off and then squanders the lot.

The point of all these stories is not about why or what or where or how? Rather we simply meet the compassion and love of God reaching out through the lives of ordinary people.

And yet, the community that wrote Luke's Gospel did so in the face of unfolding horror and suffering. And yet in the midst of all that was happening, they had discovered that the Jesus they believed in, was still with them, giving them the courage and faith to continue to be the hands and feet of God to those who were held captive by their fears and pains. In this way they were able to help them to find new life and hope because they knew that God had not abandoned them!

So the Good News this Gospel hold for us, is that it’s much more important to live the truth than to know it, because Faith is not found by reading about it, nor even believing in it, because is only by living our faith will we discover “the truth that is able to set us free: (John 8:32).

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

May you find peace and good will on your journey.

Phil

________

Footnote:

¹Nehimiah 8:1-10, 1 Corinthians 12:12-32a, Luke 4:14-21

             Weddings – and Transformation

Most of us would have attended a wedding at some stage. It may have been your own wedding, or a friend's wedding, or the wedding of a family member. In each event you would have appreciated the enormous amount of planning and preparation that a wedding takes. It is a special and a busy time, full of hopes and excitement... and then finally, the chosen and memorable day finally arrives.

On this coming Sunday (19^th of January) the Gospel reading is about a Jewish wedding. As we hear or read the Gospel text, we will note how their wedding customs differed from a typical western wedding. First of all it occurred not in a church or at the beach, but in the family home of the groom. It also didn't take an afternoon – rather it could last for seven days.

Typically, it began with the wedding supper, then at some point the family and friends would gather for wedding ceremony, and after the wedding party would normally make a long trek around the whole village so that everyone could wish the newly wed's all the best for their future together.

In John's Gospel (Ch 2:1-12) we read how Jesus and his mother Mary attended a wedding in their local village – but curiously they didn't arrived until the third day. What seems even more strange is that the wedding seems to have involved a family member, because because as soon as Mary arrives she takes charge when she hears that the wine supply had run out.

But we soon discover there are other curious twist in this story, for while most artist impressions of the wedding naturally include the Bride and Groom – in John's telling of the story, they are not mentioned at all. It's almost as if John, in composing this story, was inviting us to look for a deeper meaning because the story is so rich in metaphors and meaning.

For example, the story begins with the phrase 'On the third day'. This happens to be a common Jewish term used to mark a time for 'New Beginnings', or a time of 'Divine intervention', or the 'fulfilment of promises'. We first find this mentioned in the Hebrew book of Exodus that marked the day that God appeared to His people (Ch 19 v 11). In the Gospels we come across a similar use of the term to mark the day Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to Mary and the Disciples (Luke 24:46). The 'Third Day' was also used as a term to remind us that God's pattern is to create new life, and to continually create and affirm his covenant with us. We find all these meanings unfolding in this wedding story which is so rich with symbols familiar to the Jewish People.

For example, when Jesus' mother Mary takes charge because the wine supply had run our, her first request was to have the six empty stone water jars that were normally used for the Jewish rites of purification, to be filled be with water – no mean event as each one could hold 20-30 gallons. Yet the symbolism extends into this request as well because there are other similar references for water in the Jewish scriptures. For example in Exodus 17 we hear how the Jews in their pilgrimage from Egypt ran out of water in the desert and God instructed Moses to release water from a rock by striking it with his rod; and in the Gospels we hear how Jesus met a Samaritan woman by Jacob's well that led to a discussion not only on Jesus request for a drink but also on the living water Jesus seeks to share with anyone who comes to him:

“Whoever drinks the water I will give him will never be thirsty ever again. Rather, the water I will give him will become in him a spring of water, bubbling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).

It is this abundance of what God has to offer us that lies at the heart of these references. We find the same abundance occurring elsewhere in the Gospels – such as the feeding of the 5000; or the miraculous catch of 153 fish by the tired depressed disciple-fishermen when they follow Jesus' suggestion to place their net on the other side of the boat. These are all reminders that God's love is limitless, generous, and overflowing and knows no bounds.

We find other example of the generosity of God in Amos 9:13-l4:

“The time is surely coming, says the Lord...(when) the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel...they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.”

Or in Exodus l7 where we hear how God instructed Moses to release water from a rock by striking it with his rod; and in the Gospels we have the story of Jesus meeting a woman by a well he we have these words:

“Whoever drinks the water I will give him will never be thirsty ever

again. Rather, the water I will give him will become in him a spring of

water, bubbling up to eternal life ” (John 4:14).

It is the release of God's generosity that lies at the heart of these, and many other references in the Bible that are reminders of that God's love has no boundaries, because it is limitless, generous, and overflowing – and we are reminded of it again in this story of the wedding that ran out of wine we are reminded again that God's love is limitless, and what God has to offer us will fill and overflow their (and our) lives with transforming joy.

So what better symbol could the author of John's Gospel include at the beginning of Jesus' ministry – than tell the story of Jesus attending a wedding, to remind us also, as his readers and listeners, that we too have access to the same love and generosity of the One who created us, and delights in us, as promised by the author of the book of Isaiah (62:4-5):

You shall be called 'My Delight'...
for the Lord delights in you.
For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your builder marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.

And while sometimes we may feel we are a bit like an empty stone water jar – tired, deplete, forsaken, desolate, anxious, or fearful – God is still with us and has so much more to share with us, and invites us to come with open hands and an open heart and mind to receive and share God's gift of transforming love and life.

But wait! There is still more tucked away in this story for us to ponder. John's Gospel stresses throughout his story of Jesus, that faith is not about knowledge – because the word 'faith' is not a noun – nor is faitht about believing the right thing. Faith is a verb – it is about 'doing' something – and we can only discover and know the love and presence of God by living the truth we know. It is as we allow this generous open gift of God's presence to transform us, that we are able to turn that gift into generous action towards others.

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

May you find peace and good will on your journey.

Phil

                                         Celebrating Christmas

Christmas 2024 has come and gone... and I wonder how you found and celebrated this past Christmas? On the day after Boxing Day we went to one of the local commercial centers in the town where we live and we were hard pressed to find a park! I was also struck by the difference between the stillness and beauty of our Christmas Eve Service, and the crowded busyness of the commercial world. It was a stark reminder of how commercialized Christmas has become – and that is not new! Christmas has many origins, and some of more ancient ones have their origin in the pagan celebrations of the winter solstice. Perhaps, now-a-days it is the commercial world that has gradually taken over our contemporary celebration of Jesus Birthday. And yet the origins of our December celebration of Christmas has a long 'secular' tradition.

For example, in England the first recorded mention of 'Christemasse' was in the 1038 and the date of December 25 was chosen to appeal to non-Christians who wished to celebrate the winter solstice. Father Christmas didn't make his appearance until the 17^th Century following the English Civil War. It arose from a political wish to link some of the emerging traditions – such as Father Christmas with the emerging political reforms of 1660. The role of Father Christmas as a giver of gifts came later, along with the other secular tradition's that arose around the celebration of Christmas.

We have also seen more recent changes in our own lifetime – for example, Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, and other ways the commercial world has claimed center stage for the way many people celebrate Christmas. Even so, I still remember the time I spent living in a Franciscan Community in the USA. Having spent most of my life living in New Zealand, I appreciated the difference between celebrating a Mid Winter Christmas in a religious community, where the shortened daylight hours were made more beautiful by falling snow, to the heat and sunshine of a southern Christmas where we are able to enjoy the beaches and other out-door forms of recreation. Yet, wherever we live, and however we celebrate Christmas, it still offers us the opportunity for re-creation – which reminded me of a film, Babette's Feast, which you also may have seen:

The story is set in a small remote village in 19th-century Denmark in the home of two ageing sisters. Their father was a pastor who started his own conservative Christian Church which had little appeal to those living in the local community. While the sisters had received many opportunities for marriage, each time their father refused to grant his permission. When finally, the father died, his two (ageing) sisters continued to look after the dwindling and elderly congregation.

Thirty-five years later, a woman named Babette arrived at their door seeking accommodation, and hopefully, work. However, the sisters could not afford to pay her, but were willing to take her on as their cook in return for bed and food. This arrangement continued for some years. Then we come to a twist in the story.

Unknown to the sisters, Babette had been given a lottery ticket from a friend in Paris which he also renewed each year. Then one day she received the news that she had won 10,000 francs. Babette decided that since the sisters had been so kind to her and had provided both home and food, she would prepare a special anniversary dinner for the two sisters and their small congregation. It was to be a meal that transformed their lives!

Little did they realize, Babette had formerly been the head chef of the Café Anglais. The meal she prepared as an appreciation for way the Sisters had received and treated her was a magnificent feast! And because the gift of her meal, and the generosity and skill that she poured into her cooking was so potent, it was able to transform the guests, physically and spiritually so that 'old wrongs were forgiven, ancient loves were rekindled, and a mystical redemption of the human spirit settled over the table'.

Babette then announced that the dinner had cost her all the money she had won! The story ends when one of the sisters responded: "Now you will be poor the rest of your life", to which Babette replied, "An artist is never poor." I wonder who we might relate to in that story?

Carl Jung once made the following comment about Babette's Feast when suggesting that Babette “makes her sacrifice with no expectation of any return. She does not make the sacrifice to purchase the goodwill of the sisters or of those who will consume the feast. Indeed, she makes her decision believing that the consumers of her feast will have no idea what they are eating. When Philippa gently chides Babette for giving away all that she has for the sister's sake, Babette answers: 'For your sake? No for my own'." ⁽¹⁾

I wonder who you most relate to in this story?

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

May you find peace and good will on your journey into the new year.

Phil

___________________

(1) ttps://jungpage.org/710-the-discovery-of-meaning-in-qbabettes-feastq

 

Learning to share God's Love

This Sunday we come to the fourth Sunday in the season of Advent. Advent is a busy and interesting time of year. It is also traditionally a time for pilgrimage when we may be planning to visit family members or to go on holiday and in doing so, perhaps we discover our life is slowly being woven into the lives of those who made their journey towards the celebration of Christ's birth.

It's also a time that may evoke many memories of past Christmas celebrations and especially those we loved and now see no longer .

We are reminded of this in the Sunday readings during the four weeks preceding Christmas, as we hear again the stories of Mary and Joseph, the Wise-men, and the angels and shepherds who all made their own and different journeys towards the place where Jesus was born.

For example, we first hear of Mary who was visited by an angel and learnt that she would be giving birth to a son who would be great and called “the Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:32). I wonder how she felt caught up in the divine drama that would forever change her life?

As I think of Mary I wonder how I would have responded? Yet what impressed me is the way she was able to stay and live in the moment – knowing that the God who called her would be faithful to His calling.

Then I wonder how her partner Joseph had felt? While he overcame the uncertainty and challenge of the news of Mary's pregnancy, little did he know or appreciate what was to come, especially as the months past and being forced to respond to his government's call for a census. No doubt he would have preferred to stay at home with Mary rather than make the 65 miles / 105 km journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem – with Mary, heavily pregnant, riding on their donkey while Joseph walked alongside. It would have taken them 4-5 days. In my mind I picture Joseph being full of concern and worry. Yet what impressed me was the way he was able to patiently learn, like Mary, to also stay in the moment.

As we journey with Joseph, I wonder what concerns and worries we bring with us on our Advent journey? We may know in our heads, perhaps, but sometimes not so sure in our hearts, that the God who calls us will also be faithful and provide for us through our hopes and struggles that life throws at us.

Or do we journey with the Magi (or so called wise men) who had set out on an even longer journey with their hopes and dreams as they simply followed a star in the sky! People must have though they were mad. What gave them the certainty to leave behind, in such uncertain times, the safety and shelter of home?

I wonder what calls our hearts and minds to leave behind the safety of what is familiar, to journey into the unknown? It will take us faith and courage to follow God's call and yet God never leaves us to journey alone – which reminds me of the poem by Minnie Louise Haskins:

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:

“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”

And he replied:

“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”

So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day...

Then there were the Shepherds who lived out in the fields, guarding their sheep from the dangers of theft and wild animals. They were really introverted caretakers who loved nature and the quiet. They looked after with gentle concern what belonged to others. It's interesting that Jesus is often referred to as a Shepherd because he also offers to guard us – and feed us with his love and care as he calls us also to follow in his footsteps with his our hand in ours.

As our story reaches towards it's climax we meet an Inkeeper who could have done with the shepherd's wisdom and support as he worried about the practicality of providing space for the flood of tired and disgruntled people arriving in the evening of the day. Perhaps, he, like us at this time of year, begin to feel tired and exhausted with the business and demands that this time of year may have for us – and if so, no doubt we too may sense a growing restlessness, glad when the rhythm of our life is able to return to normal.

In contrast to the Innkeeper, we hear the story of the Angels who were full of joyful expectation and delight. Perhaps we still see glimpses of this through the expectation and delight in our children or grand children who remind us of the excitement we also shared in the celebrations of Christmas-past.

And finally, there was Jesus, waiting to be born. As he waits to be born again within each of us. The German Catholic priest, theologian, philosopher and mystic, Meister Eckhart, once wrote:

“What is the good of Mary giving birth to the son of God

if I do not also give birth to God today,

We are all called to be Mothers of God”.

So as we make our journey through this Advent Season, I wonder what sort of journey you are making? What do you carry in your pilgrim's pack? Is there anything that weighs you down? How can you lighten your load? Have you left some room in your pack for the gifts of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love that are offered to us to experience afresh as reach towards the end of our Advent pilgrimage?

The gift of God's love reminds us that we learn to love from being loved. And we learn to love God by being open to God's love. And so as you make your pilgrimage through this final week of Advent, may you be renewed by the love of God so you may share that love with those you meet.

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

May you find peace and good will on your journey.

Phil