Saturday of the First Week of Lent

Lectionary: 229

...you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you;
and provided you keep all his commandments,
he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory above all other nations he has made,
and you will be a people sacred to the LORD, your God, as he promised."

In today's gospel, Jesus spells out and hammers home how we are to be a people peculiarly his own. Unlike "tax collectors and pagans" who love those who love them and greet only their own kind, we should have an open, hospitable heart for everyone.  And our kind is anyone. This manner copies his way of meeting people. 

If he had opponents because of his teaching and his witness to the Kingdom of God, he had no enemies. Or, he made no enemies; he condemned no one. They made themselves his enemies by their refusal to accept the Good News that he announced. 

As he said to Nicodemus, 

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God  (John 3:17-18)

Today, this peculiar way of life is like walking a tightrope in a hurricane. There's an obvious reason for the polarization of our society; it sells. The public wants trouble. As a nation we're at war with no one. Our economy is good; jobs are available; inflation is under control; and yet we're screaming at each other. Because it sells products.

How many times have we seen both houses of Congress split evenly with 50 senators in either camp, and a similar division in the House? Why does American society split so evenly into two opposing parties? It sells.

Newt Gingrich (House Speaker 1995-1999) and other politicians discovered that loudly expressing extremist statements generated more cash than saner, irenic policies. Making enemies entertained the public, making peace disappointed them. If most Americans stood in the middle they were not so willing to pay for the privilege as their more savage compatriots. 

A peculiar people like Jesus's disciples is not driven by consumerism and its rabid sale of goods and services. We listen, consider, discuss, and seek agreement. We stop and think before we buy anything. We prefer a quieter way of life, less exciting, less entertaining, less expensive, and more productive. 

That's something else I noticed on my way to mental health: I don't need excitement. Nor do I thrive with it. I have met people who felt uneasy when their lives were normal. They were working productively, paying the bills, keeping a regular schedule, without any unusual stressors at home, in the office, or among their friends. They complained, "This can't last long." Clearly, they were not used to it. 

A peculiar people like Jesus's disciples prays routinely, with a regular, daily schedule. It helps us maintain that mental balance. We may miss the excitement but we don't need it. And we're more open to hearing controversial statements and seeing upsetting things without being drawn into them. We can pray for people without meddling in their lives. 

We walk the tightrope of prayer; which is to say, "First things first; we worship God." It is right and just that we should do so. And that, in today's world, is very peculiar.