Monday, March 2, 2009

Today’s text

Mark 8:31-33

Then [Jesus] began to teach them that the Son of man was destined to suffer grievously, and to be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and to be put to death, and after three days to rise again; and he said all this quite openly. Then, taking him aside, Peter tried to rebuke him. But, turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said to him, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are thinking not as God thinks, but as human beings do.'

Reflection

And how does God think? And how could we possibly know or understand?

Our lives are a mystery. Life, itself, is a mystery, cloaked in utter darkness and hidden in deepest recesses of time and consciousness.

Life comes to be. Generations rise and pass. Human souls suffer and prosper, often in utter disparity with any merit or deserving.

The gentle and good have as many problems and challenges as those who cannot see beyond the enlargement of their egos. But they all pass into the darkness at the end of our days no human eye can penetrate.

And you see it all, Lord of the Universe. You see them all rise and fall, and me, too, with all we love.

And what do you think? How do you see?

We have only this man, Jesus, whom generations confess is transparent to your face. He is your thought, your way of seeing. And he makes this human journey just as we do.

He avoids none of the usual human challenges. His vocation to love as you love brings him joy, yes, but many more troubles than he otherwise would have known.

And Jesus, when your friend urged you to avoid the trouble, you gave him the devil. This is not God’s thought, not the holy way.

The holy way is through every suffering, acceptance of every sacrifice born in the bosom of love. Suffering is not good of itself, but for the sake of the love, well that’s another matter.

For Love will decide everything. Love brings life from death.

And Love is God’s thought. Love is God’s way.

So let us think your thoughts and walk your way.

Pr. David L. Miller