I remind
you, to stir into flame
the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control.
the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control.
In his second
letter to Timothy Saint Paul reminds his protégé of that sacred moment when,
amid a gathering of the entire church, he commissioned Timothy as the bishop of
the local church. The spirit that came upon Timothy was not “of cowardice but
rather of power and love and self-control.”
That Spirit
is, of course, that of Jesus and his Church. Just as an inferior basketball
team may be inspired to win the championship despite the superior talents of
their rivals; and that eager, joyous, self-sacrificing spirit abides in each athlete;
so does the Holy Spirit abide in each member of the Church. But the Church also
needs an inspired leadership. There is a synergy
between leaders and members, each inspiring each that overcomes obstacles
together.
A willing
church will often point to its pastor and say “He (or she) brought us to this!”
and the pastor will insist, “Everyone pitched in and did their part.”
In today’s
parable the Lord describes a well-functioning household with its master and its
servants. There is a tacit understanding in the group that each person does his
and her part. They need little direction and no gratitude; they throw
themselves into the work and would not consider neglecting their tasks. They are
grateful for the opportunity to serve.
Reading this
text two thousand years later we might wonder about the stratified society of
masters and slaves. Was that just? Why did Jesus not challenge that unfair
arrangement?
But, because
it was inspired by the Holy Spirit, his fictional household was truly just. A
household or company is justified by Holy Spirit who governs it, not by
its internal structures. Or it is condemned by its diabolical spirit. The news
has been saturated lately with stories of major corporations that lacked God’s
spirit; they did not hesitate to exploit the vulnerabilities of their
employees, treating them like domestic, sexual slaves. Ostensibly democratic,
they could not match the most basic measurements of equality.
In today’s
first reading we have heard the Prophet Habakkuk’s cry for mercy:
How long, O LORD? I cry for help
but you do not listen!
I cry out to you, “Violence!”
but you do not intervene.
Why do you let me see ruin;
why must I look at misery?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and clamorous discord.
but you do not listen!
I cry out to you, “Violence!”
but you do not intervene.
Why do you let me see ruin;
why must I look at misery?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and clamorous discord.
Though we
pride our western civilization for dismantling slavery and other forms of
institutionalized abuse, the Prophet’s cry is all too familiar. Psalm 127 warned
us,
Unless the LORD build the house, they labor in vain who build.
Unless the LORD guard the city, in vain does the guard keep watch.
Unless the LORD guard the city, in vain does the guard keep watch.
As we labor
through this particularly difficult election year, frightened of the
unappealing choices before the electorate, we beg God to anoint his people
again with the Holy Spirit of Jesus. We pray that our house will not fail nor
our city collapse under the burden of our own evil spirits.
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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.