February 25, 2009

Today’s text

Mark 1:12-13

And at once the Spirit drove him into the desert, and he remained there for forty days, and was put to the test by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels looked after him.

Reflection

Driven. I don’t like the sounds of that, but it speaks a truth of your life, Jesus, something that is true of every life.

We each are driven. Our drivers are usually not hard to discover.

Success, attractiveness, wealth, security, fear of failure, rejection or pain, the maintenance of a particular image, a comfortable life: these are common drivers.

Old voices that judged, cajoled or stung us also drive, pushing us in one direction or another. We obey them more often than not, trying to find a way to make them shut up, or we rebel against them in vain effort to show our independence from them. But even our rebellion reveals their power over us.

Sometimes are drivers are the hunger to protect and serve, to bless and heal, to give and love. Great developments of science, medicine and the arts are born of such drivenness, as are great acts of sacrifice for a child, a parent, a friend.

So drivenness isn’t all bad, just so long as it doesn’t destroy us and others in the process.

Or am I wrong, Jesus?

You were driven by the Spirit into the wilderness for testing, to get ready for the road ahead. That road led to your destruction. You were destroyed by your zeal, by the Spirit of God who drove you to love as God loves, to give as God gives, to surrender to a purpose that brought you human rejection and immense pain.

That scares us, Jesus. We know being driven by the Spirit of the All Loving One will take us beyond ourselves and well beyond our comfort. It will lead us to wonder if we are a little crazy for loving and following you. It will move us to love and care about people and places that we could easily ignore.

It will comfort and love us, while pushing us to be the love and comfort we receive. So we shy away, knowing we are not up to the challenge. It is easier to seek our own comfort.

But one way or the other, we are driven by something, something in our spirit, or something in yours, Jesus.

It’s a hard prayer, but still I must say it: Drive me beyond myself to love and care as you. Part of my heart shudders with fear at the thought; another part demands to be given away.

It’s that driver in me I can’t escape.

Pr. David L. Miller