Friday, January 25, 2008

Today's text

Matthew 4:17-22

From then onwards Jesus began his proclamation with the message, 'Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is close at hand.' As he was walking by the Lake of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast into the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, 'Come after me and I will make you fishers of people.' And at once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. And at once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.

Prayer

These words are so spare. They tell me nothing of what went through their minds, or yours, Jesus, as they trundled along behind you. What did they feel? What did they expect to find? What did they want to happen? Or were their minds a mass of conflicting impulses stirred by the hunger to escape their old life?

I don’t know why they came. There is no apparent reason in these simple words. And I can’t imagine they thought they were leaving home for good, as “at once” they came.

And then from depths of consciousness comes your whisper, “And you? Why are you still here?”

Some days I find it hard to answer. In that, I suppose, I am no different than Peter and Andrew and all the rest. Why am I here? What do I want?

And there it is. They, too, came because of their wants, their desires. We fly to you on the wings of our desires, Jesus.

And mine? I find in you the face of a mystery to which I want to draw near. And why? Because in its presence my soul grows quiet, and I become myself, a self I know at no other time, knowing myself lovingly encompassed by Unnamable Mystery.

So I am still here. I don’t follow all that well. But there are moments when what has captured me captures another through what is in me. And then I know quite well why I am here.

Pr. David L. Miller