Although I am free in regard to all,
I have made myself a slave to all
so as to win over as many as possible.
I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
All this I do for the sake of the Gospel,
so that I too may have a share in it.
A former guardian of mine called it "sound effects" whenever I got up from the dining room table or living room chair. The groan that began in my knees and hips arrived in my throat as the movement upwards met gravity and fell back. And yet I had to move. If I must be a slave, it should be for others and not for the reluctance in my ankles, knees, and hips.
Several saints have been described as reluctant in movie titles and books. I am not sure that any true saint fits that category, but perhaps they all do. Which of us does not daily encounter our physical and spiritual reluctance to get up, get going, deal with the problem(s), and give more than we intend to give?
Reluctance is that entropy which is overcome when anything moves, shifts, or changes. It is the same resistance that moving objects encounter because everything around them -- an entire system -- must also adjust, adapt, and find a new stasis, a new normal. And when everything and everyone is moving on this dynamic planet, we can expect a lot of entropy amid systemic reluctance.
When a child is born, everyone in the family must adjust to the new arrival. When the child moves from elementary to middle school, the family readjusts to the new situation. When an alcoholic sobers up the family must recognize the codependent practices which are no longer helpful.
So here is our reluctant saint who hears the Spirit's invitation to be different and make a difference. They are surely accompanied by the Church and its prayers as we have been guided and challenged by the Holy Spirit these many centuries. But the same church must also accommodate this individual whose spiritual sails are catching a different zephyr. And who knows but the community's reluctance may be guided by the same spirit? It may be saying, "Yes. Great idea! But not yet." And the community watches together for further signals from the Divine.
Freedom is a jealous god, it has no place for ego. It bonds a community under obedience to the Lord and the stewardship of shepherds; and guides us like the proverbial tight ship whose keel knows both the inertia of the sea and the energy of the wind as it responds to the Lord's "Get up, let us go!"
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.