What is it that makes Jesus' neighbors so mad at him
that they want to throw
him over the hill?
Some are truly amazed at the truth of his insights into
the scripture,
but others complain
that he isn't working those miracles
for them
like he did in Capernaum.
He responds by telling them that
miracles require faith,
and he gives them two examples, neither of them
Jews.
His friends and neighbors recognize the truth of what Jesus
says,
knowing that those despised foreigners,
the Canaanites and the
Syrians,
have the deep faith they themselves lack.
They reject his
message.
But he knew his mission,
so he stood up, told the truth,
and
went on his way doing what he was called to
do.
_____________________________________________
Religion can bring out
the worst in people.
They think their dogma and their ritual makes them
better.
They exclude people
and begin to think that God wants them
to
hate the “other”
and kill the
“foreigner.”
_____________________________________________
It still
happens.
Just as the citizens of Nazareth forgot the commands of the
Torah
to “love the alien as yourself;
for you too were once aliens in the
land of Egypt,”
people today can forget the Great Commandment of
love.
Religion can get distorted into fanaticism and
bigotry.
_____________________________________________
On the other
hand,
we know that religion can also bring out the best in people,
helping
them to become more tolerant and loving.
We each have to ask ourselves what
religion brings out in us.
Our first reading, that stirring passage from
Jeremiah,
tells us that God has a mission for each one of us
that is only
ours to do.
Jeremiah also tells us that It won't be easy
but that we will
bear fruit.
_____________________________________________
We are fortunate
here in Northwest Ohio
to be able to see the good that religion can bring out
in others.
We are blessed with many prophets among us.
Some of you know
Paul and Kathleen from Liberty Center,
who have left the snowy north for the
winter,
but not to vacation.
They are trekking through the southwestern
desert
to leave caches of water and food
for desperate refugees from South
American terrorism
who cross into the United States at the risk of their
lives.
And some of you know Sandy and Lin in West Toledo,
adopting and
fostering so many special needs kids
that I've lost count.
And there's
Sister Ginny
putting together an alternative to suspension for school
kids
at the Padua Center.
And Marcia and Rose and hundreds of
others
lobbying to get the lead poisoning
out of the homes of the poorest
kids among us.
And Karen Shepler bringing our community together
in an
ongoing dialogue to combat racism.
And Woody and Judy creating a way for
followers of every faith
to work together as a community of justice and
peace.
And, there's our own Tree Toledo,
scores of people planting
trees
so future generations will have breathable air.
And then there's
you,
prophets anointed by God
to bear the good news everywhere you
go.
You're out there in the food pantries and the soup kitchens,
visiting
people in the hospitals and nursing homes
and at home and at
Hospice.
You're at the funeral home
comforting your friends when they lose
a loved one,
tutoring and coaching and cheering for your
grandkids,
donating to Rahab's Heart and disaster relief,
racing for the
cure,
and praying in the quiet of the morning
and the still of the
night.
_____________________________________________
Like Jeremiah, like
Jesus, you
have been anointed by God to prophesy to the nations.
You look
at the world and speak out,
sometimes with words but more often with
action,
and with that patient, kind love that Paul preached
about.
Sometimes you suffer rejection for standing up and speaking
out.
The rejection can take different forms;
it can be personal or
situational or social or cultural.
You could be passed over for promotion or
fired,
you could be bullied or beat up,
betrayed by the people you trust
the most,
or just plain ignored
when you try to do what's right
or
speak up about something that's wrong.
But you do it
anyway.
_____________________________________________
God has given each
of us,
as the poet Mary Oliver describes it,
this “one wild and precious
life”
and charged each of us with a unique mission.
It's unique because we
each have different gifts to bring to it;
but it's the same for all of
us:
we are all sent to love:
love God,
love neighbor,
love one
another.
Amen!
--
Holy Spirit Catholic Community
Saturdays at
4:30 p.m.
Sundays at 5:30 p.m.
at 3925 West Central Avenue (Washington
Church)
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