Yes, days are coming, says the Lord GOD, when I will send famine upon the land:
Not a famine of bread, or thirst for water, but for hearing the word of the LORD.
Then shall they wander from sea to sea and rove from the north to the east in search of the word of the LORD,
but they shall not find it.
Today's scriptures describe desperation, first of the greedy, and then for the Word of God,
In the movie Wall Street, the character Gekko urged his fellow stockholders to consider and suppose that "Greed is good." But the movie intended to strike an ironic tone and challenge the prevailing mood of American business. Greed is an awful thing, we usually agree.
But greed is rarely so obvious as Gekko's, and few claim it as their virtue. Rather, they argue that they must compete or perish in a greedy, competitive marketplace. It's not their fault. They intend only to do good, and survival is a good thing!
They might admit they also want to win, because nearly everyone admits that winning is good. Aren't games our national religion? And most will agree that if you can win without cheating, that's better. Although everybody cheats and so we must also cheat to survive, which is a good thing. Even the nakedly greedy Gekko grounds his argument on the principle of winning. He says in his speech that America is no longer a "a top industrial power;" not that it's perishing. And everyone knows that losing is shameful and unacceptable.
When Saint Matthew abandons his tax table and joins the Lord, he turns his back on survival, competition, and greed. He wants only to belong to the Lord. The day must come for everyone when they turn their back to this world and venture directly into the Kingdom of Heaven. Christians believe that, and by our practice of daily, habitual sacrifice we practice that belief. We die to ourselves daily.
When the Big Sacrifice comes we intend to be ready. The skills of survival will not serve us well in that moment; we will do well to have forgotten them by then. Rather, like Lazarus, we will hear the Voice, obey his command, rise from the dead, and follow the Lord to Jerusalem.
No comments:
Post a Comment
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.