and touched his cloak.
She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.”
Immediately her flow of blood dried up.
She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
We often suspect prayers born of desperation. We scold ourselves or others for waiting until the last minute to pray, for ignoring the duty of prayer except when we’re desperate, and for praying only in times of crisis. The churches were suddenly filled after 9/11 with eager, devout petitioners; but when another option opened up – the invasion of Afghanistan – the churches were again empty. Americans seemed to say, “Thanks, God, but we can handle it now.”
The attitude of
fearful desperation is not the problem. The problem is how we deal with our
vulnerability. We look for solutions to the problem and prefer the ones that
are not faith-based. Or, to put it another way, we invest our faith in solutions
we can manage. We create technologies to terrify our enemies, rather than recognize
and honor their equal standing before God. Or, we create new laws because "There oughta be a law!" when we need a change much deeper than any law can effect.
The Holy Spirit teaches
us to abide in the vulnerable place. We are, in fact, always dependent upon others -- both God and other people.
Like many people I am allergic to bullets and yet many of my fellow citizens like to hurl bullets in various, haphazard directions. I would not be surprised to stop one someday. Clearly outlawing guns won't help. In any case, it's not going to happen. How can I persuade gun owners to stop shooting at me and other unarmed citizens?
We human beings live on the thin edge between life and death all the time. We need constant care to stay alive. Just about anything can destroy us. That's not bad; that's where God has placed us. Protecting ourselves with guns is about as effective as stomping cockroaches in the middle of the night. It might be fun but you'll wear out your slippers long before you kill all the cockroaches.
Like many people I am allergic to bullets and yet many of my fellow citizens like to hurl bullets in various, haphazard directions. I would not be surprised to stop one someday. Clearly outlawing guns won't help. In any case, it's not going to happen. How can I persuade gun owners to stop shooting at me and other unarmed citizens?
We human beings live on the thin edge between life and death all the time. We need constant care to stay alive. Just about anything can destroy us. That's not bad; that's where God has placed us. Protecting ourselves with guns is about as effective as stomping cockroaches in the middle of the night. It might be fun but you'll wear out your slippers long before you kill all the cockroaches.
The spiritual
person lives in that vulnerable place, fully aware and confident of God’s
sustaining love. Like the woman in today's gospel, who had tried all the doctors and come up short, the woman of faith knows she has no where else to turn but God. The man of faith, by a simple style of life, reminds us of the immanence of life and death. Faithful people don't just talk about faith; they live it.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.