One of the headlines in yesterday’s papers went something like this: “Debt soars in ‘live-now’ Britain.” It was the last part of the headline which particularly struck me: “live- now” Britain. Today marks the beginning of that time of the Church year which, in the Church of England at any rate, begins another time of waiting. Advent sees us waiting for the birth of Christ and Ordinary Time sees us waiting through the commonplace days of most of the year. And from today we enter into a period of waiting for Lent. But that newspaper headline reminded me of how–and this isn’t something unique to British culture–how we are not usually good at waiting. American and Canadian culture as well as most other cultures seem now to be driven by an instant mentality. We must have gratification instantly, we must live instantly, everything and everyone must do everything instantly. There is no time to just be.
Even in today’s gospel the disciples are hurrying Jesus along when he wants some time out to stop the world and pray. They rush up to him and in what I imagine to be an impatient voice say “Everyone is searching for you!” Tellingly Jesus doesn’t condemn them for their impatience, indeed he seems to ignore it altogether and simply says “Let us go on to the neighbouring towns ” Now whether he said this with a sort of “Oh well, it was nice while it lasted” air about it or with an “Our work here is done, now it is time to move on” sense to it I don’t know.
The gospel comprises three distinct episodes which all take place over a short period. The healing of Simon’s mother-in-law occurs on the Sabbath, probably in the afternoon. It is a private event, witnessed by only a few. The second scene takes place that same evening and contrasts with the first in that it is public. And the third scene occurs the following morning and implicitly refers back to the second.
When Simon makes an unspoken demand for more miracles Jesus rejects the demand. It appears that he does this for two reasons. Firstly, Jesus seems to be rejecting a response to himself that focuses exclusively on his miracles. While these miracles demonstrate his power, and force questions about his identity, they do not reveal who he is. Secondly, Jesus rejects the request because he understands his vocation to lie elsewhere. He seeks to move them on to another place because, as he says in verse 38, “I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.”
The second reading from the letter to the Corinthians also has to do with definitions. In this passage Paul sets out his view of his apostolic charge. All of chapter 9 is autobiographical in tone. The first person narrative style is prominent throughout and it becomes clear that Paul is suggesting he is exemplary and is presenting himself as the example to follow for those in the Corinthian church. When he speaks about the different groups he has been involved with in his apostolic ministry–the Jewish people, Gentile Christians and non-Christian Gentiles–one wonders what point he is trying to make. Is his fundamental point that he is versatile and accommodating, able to adjust his ministerial life- style to fit any set of circumstances? Or is it that relating to each group, because of its different demands and viewpoints, has inevitably cost him some of his freedom? It appears to be the latter. Such limits on his own freedom has caused him to be flexible, but this seems to be a secondary point and not the primary point he makes.
Paul’s hope is that the community at Corinth will find his conduct consummate and will try to translate his personal ethic into their congregational lifestyle. As some of the commentators say, for them to do this it would mean that the strong would be willing to bear the burdens of the weak, that those “in the know” would be more tolerant of those “not in the know,” and that those more practised and experienced in religious matters would be more patient with those whose conversion to Christianity is their first real exposure to a religion with high ethical standards.
I would like to tell a little story about Nasrudin.
Nasrudin went into a bank that he did not usually use and asked to withdraw a large sum of money from his account. The bank clerk was naturally suspicious and asked him politely: “Have you any means of identifying yourself sir?” Nasrudin reached down into the pockets of his long cloak and took out an ornate mirror. He held the mirror up and looked studiously into it. He then exclaimed to the bank clerk: “Yes, I can assure you that’s me all right.”
If only defining who we are and what our vocation is were that simple. God has a plan for each one of us, a plan that in some way defines who we are. And this definition is one shared by every human being. We are all children of God and are all loved by God into existence. As I wrote that it occurred to me that I say this a lot. But then, can such words ever be heard too often? These words are the fact that underpins the whole of our lives and one which it seems to take us a long time to accept. How much easier to listen to the voices that say we are no good, that try to define who we are in negative terms.
But God never seems to tire of trying to encourage us to see who we really are. To see that we don’t need instant gratifications and lots of things to define who we are, that we are defined by the love God has for us and that at least a part of our vocation is to share this love with others, changes everything.
Today’s collect asks that we be protected and given strength by God to withstand “many and great dangers” and that God will “support us in all dangers and carry us through all temptations.” This seems to suggest a particular worldview; a sense of the earth as full of evil and of human existence being one long, arduous battle against dark forces. Is existence such a negative experience?
Surely, one of the ways in which God gives us strength and protects us is through a realization that we are loved by Him and that this world he created came into being out of the sheer love of God. This view changes the way we see the world and changes what we think life is all about. Rather than being a long, tiresome battle against evil life becomes a gift of grace and something to be relished. Certainly we are frail and our wills are weak. Just look at how difficult it is for most of us to accept and internalize that we are created and exist out of the sheer love and delight of God; that we are not defined by things, achievements, amount of money we have but by the love of God.
Each one of us is defined by God’s love and this gives us all a unique vocation and contribution to make to the lovely, grace-filled world God created.
Anthony de Mello tells a story about a certain congregation that was intrigued to see their rabbi disappear each week on the eve of the Sabbath. They suspected he was secretly meeting the Almighty, so they deputized one of their number to follow him.
This is what the man saw: the rabbi disguised himself in peasant clothes and served a paralyzed Gentile woman in her cottage, cleaning out the room and preparing a Sabbath meal for her.
When the spy got back, the congregation asked, “Where did the rabbi go? Did he ascend to heaven?”
“No,” the man replied, “he went even higher.”
Amen.
Terrance Bell
TEXTS: Isaiah 40:21-end
I Corinthians 9:16-23
Mark 1:29-39