No Condemnation

 Now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus...(Rom.8:1)

We were made to be inhabited... not to be alone:  The one thing that was "Not Good" at the dawn of creation was that man was alone.  There is no greater joy in this life than knowing that we are not alone --- that we are one with another in mind, heart, and spirit.  Different, yes; opposite, no.  We yearn to be with those who love us, accept us, find joy in our presence as we do in theirs.  

What separates us is judgment, criticism, condemnation, non-acceptance of who we are, what we think, what we do.  And then fear overtakes us -- fear of more judgment, of more criticism, of more rejection.  And we back away, become alone again, knowing that we can trust only ourselves, not another.  The ancient name for the Devil was lo diabolo, meaning to "throw apart," to separate.  What separates us from one another is literally diabolic.

God came in the flesh seeking union with us, made in His image and likeness:  The Son of Man came not to condemn, but to seek and to save what was lost.  Sin separates us from God so that we are no longer one spirit, one mind, one heart with Him.  And His overflowing love can no longer flow through us to those around us.  The urge to criticize, to look down on, to condemn and to separate seems to be natural part of our makeup -- but it is not the "image and likeness" of God for which we were destined.  

Many "solutions" have arisen from mankind:  mindfulness, meditation, Buddhism, The Power of Positive Thinking.....  But what is bred into our genetic makeup over centuries is not easily dislodged.  Paul says in Romans 7 that if he does anyway what he has determined not to do, there is a power within him stronger than he is:  Unhappy man that I am!  Who will save me from this body of death?

But thanks be to God!  It has already been done --- there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  The law of the Spirit of life has set you free from the spirit of death!

God desires to be One with us in heart, mind, and spirit.  And so "there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."  In the sacrament of the Eucharist, He becomes one with us without rejection.  Little by little, His Spirit in us causes us to throw away useless ideas and behaviors, gradually transforming us into His very likeness.  His death was our death to the things that separate us from the love of God and of one another.  Even our utmost rejection of His Spirit was overcome in the Resurrection.  We are made new creatures, created once again according to the Divine Image!

An Awesome Power

 Whenever you go into a house, first say, "Peace to this house." 
If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.

Jesus is called "The Prince of Peace."  The Jews do not recognize Him as Messiah because He has not brought universal peace, according to Isaiah 9:7.  However, at the Last Supper, He said to His disciples, "My peace I give to you; I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  That peace is recognizable; it belongs to those who belong to Him.  It is the Pearl of Great Price for which a person will give all that he has.

The Peace which Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah belongs to his followers -- and it is spread from one to another.  It is possible to pass on that peace to others -- an awesome power, as only God can give peace.  

Last night, we celebrated Holy Thursday-- the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist.  After the ceremony, a few people (about 30) gathered in a small room where the Blessed Sacrament -- the Presence of Jesus -- would be temporarily kept.  Our tradition is that the Eucharist is removed from the church on Holy Thursday, as Jesus departed from the Upper Room for the Garden of Olives.  We are invited to spend some time with Him in prayer that night.

The Peace that descended on all present last night was palpable.  It could be felt --- even "heard," in a way.  At first, I thought it was just my own peace that was so profound it felt what heaven must be like.  Gradually, however, I began to realize how absolutely still the room was.  Never have I encountered such a presence of silence; in a sense, it was "heavy" in that it permeated every person with profound stillness. No one coughed, reached for a handkerchief, looked around, or even read from a book.  There were books held on laps, but everyone seemed totally absorbed in profound silence and peace.  

This morning, I realized what Jesus meant when He said, "My peace I give to you."  It is possible for us to pass on that peace to others -- if they are people of peace themselves.  It is a palpable gift.  If we cannot pass on peace, then it returns to us.  It seems to me that this peace could disarm nations -- and then that universal peace promised by Isaiah would proclaim Jesus as Lord and Messiah!

Traveling with the Eyes of God

 As I was preparing for yet another wonderful trip, thanks to the gracious generosity of my dear sister, my husband brought me today's meditation from Bread for the Journey by Henri Nouwen, a book he reads each morning.  I was so moved by the selection that I wanted to share it with everyone I know:

Traveling -- seeing new sights, hearing new music, and meeting new people -- is exciting and exhilarating.  But when we have no home to return to where someone will ask us, "How was your trip?" we might be less eager to go. Traveling is joyful when we travel with the eyes and ears of those who love us, who want to see our slides and hear our stories.

This is what life is about.  It is being sent on a trip by a loving God, who is waiting at home for our return and is eager to watch the slides we took and hear about the friends we made.  When we travel with the eyes and ears of the God who sent us, we will see wonderful sights, hear wonderful sounds, meet wonderful people....and be happy to return home. 

After reading this, I could just imagine God saying, "Let's see your slides!"  How many of them am I willing to show Him? 

 

A Different Starting Place

 One of the things I loved about teaching was knowing I could help people achieve their goals.  I aimed to get them through the semester successfully so they could move to the next level.  And since I knew what the final challenge of the term entailed, and what obstacles the students needed to overcome, I was usually successful in preparing them for the final test.  

Every now and then, however, there would be a student who sabotaged my best efforts to help him/her.  I am not talking about those who lacked ability, or those who were lazy, or those who were not sure why they were there at all.  I am thinking of the student who seemed to want to succeed but who always found a way to fail, albeit with the best intentions.

One of my students, a sweet Asian girl, habitually arrived about 20 minutes late each morning for a 2-hour class.  By that time, we were all on task, sometimes with the students quietly composing or re-writing their first drafts.  She attempted to sneak in the back door and slide into her desk without a disturbance.  However, she kept her books in a crinkly plastic bag which inevitably rustled and crackled as she extricated her supplies.  Normally, I did not tolerate late arrivals, but after discussing the problem with her, I found that someone else brought her to school daily, and she had no control over their schedule.  Since it was a 2-hour class, I decided to allow her to continue, accepting "no solution" as a compromise.  However, I did bring her a canvas bag in which to tote her books.  The next day she arrived with her plastic bag inserted in the canvas bag.  Once again, no solution.

Needless to say, this girl was always one step behind but eager to catch up.  So she would inevitably show up in my office after class, when I was relaxing with a cup of tea and preparing for my next class.  I quickly learned that all my "help" was like water running down a drain.  Nothing seemed to stick.  No amount of time spent with her seemed to make any difference whatsoever.  She brought out the Inspector Clouseau in me.  I'm not sure my eye began to twitch when I saw her, but once I did spill tea all over myself when I turned and saw her at my office door.

Finally I confessed my frustration to a close friend, who gave me some of the best advice of my life. "Your problem," she said, "is that you think you should be able to help her. And there are some people who cannot be helped.  Once you accept that fact, you will no longer be frustrated."  My friend was 100% on target.  I began to relax and enjoy this student for who she was.  No longer did I desire her success more than she did.  I began to realize that she was getting different things out of attending college; success was not necessarily her goal in life.  And I was willing to allow her to take what she could and leave the rest --- whether it fit my norms and expectations or not.

Unfortunately, that girl eventually stopped attending college and went on with another phase of her life, presumably happy after all.  Also unfortunately, the lesson I thought I learned did not stick forever.  There are still people in my life I think I should be able to help, but cannot.  When someone spends more than an hour on the phone telling me about all the things that make her unhappy in life, somehow the "helper" in me kicks in, and I begin thinking of "solutions" to her problems.  I lay awake at night solving problems that are not my own.  I have not yet learned that some things are unfixable.  And then in my frustration, I begin to resent the fact that I cannot make my friend happy.

After the wonderful gift of the sacrament of confession, once again I have come to a different starting place.  No longer (at least for a time) do I think I "should" be able to help another person achieve her goals or to be happy and content.  I realize again that Jesus did not try to "fix" people, but He welcomed them into His warm embrace and invited them to enjoy His Life -- now and forever.  If they chose not to accept His invitation, He allowed them to walk away. Their sadness broke the heart of the Good Shepherd who gladly would have shouldered their cross, but He let them go.  And when they returned to their father's house, He gladly brought out the ring, the cloak, and the fatted calf, saying, "Let us rejoice, for what was lost is now found!"

A Covenant of Peace

 Look around and be distressed;
Look within and be depressed;
Look to Jesus and be at rest.

(Corrie Ten Boom)

"Covenant" is not a word we use much today, except in gated communities, where the meaning seems to have evolved into the opposite of its original.  The only real covenant we have left today is marriage-- where two are made one flesh, one family, one bond.

The original covenant God made with Abraham was a covenant of blood -- a covenant in your flesh, God called it:  My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant (Gen. 17).

By the time of Jeremiah and the other prophets, however, we hear that that covenant in the flesh means little:  

How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land,

the most beautiful of any nation.

I thought you would call me "Father" and not turn away from following me.

But like a woman unfaithful to her husband,

so have you been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel," says the Lord (Jer. 3).

Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns.

Circumcise yourself to the Lord, circumcise your hearts,

you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem (Jer. 4).

...even the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart (Jer. 9).

The result of abandoning the covenant, or the bond with God, is that the beautiful land "...has been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross" and, furthermore,

Death has climbed in through our windows and has entered our fortresses;

it has cut off the children from the streets and the young men from the public squares (Jer. 9).

The prophets, however, notably Jeremiah, promised a new covenant, "not like the covenant I made with their fathers...[.but] I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts....they will all know me from the least of them to the greatest" (Jer. 31).

And Ezekiel says, "I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant....My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God and they will be my people" (37).

....a covenant of peace.  The mark of those who dwell with God.  At the Last Supper, Jesus promised: "My peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  Finally, it is given to us --- the covenant of peace.  Corrie Ten Boom, despite the worst that Nazi Germany could do to her family and to her, knew that peace.  As do the world's martyrs today.

If you would find the dwelling place of God on earth today, look for the "pearl of great price" -- that peace within men's souls.  It is the sure sign of the new covenant!

Who Is Your God?

 When God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, He identified Himself:  I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

In my last entry, "We Believe," I wrote about faith in God not only in terms of our own stories, but in terms of the faith and friendship of those we love and trust.  When I hear how God has worked in your life, your story extends my own experience of God and increases my awe of His glory and Presence.

When God says to Moses, "I am the God of your father," He identifies Himself with the stories Moses has heard from his own family.  Although this may be Moses' first encounter with the Divine Presence, he undoubtedly has heard and absorbed family stories going back hundreds of years of how this God revealed Himself to the Israelites.  So already Moses knows something about this God who now reveals Himself to Moses.

I am the God of Abraham.....Who was Abraham's God?  He is God in search of man before man begins to search for God.  He is the God Who calls in the depths of our souls, "Come, and I will show you...."  

The God Who says, "Get up, leave this place and come to a place I will show you."  The God who has a plan for us:  I will bless you and you will be a blessing!  Not just bless us, but bless all those who are connected to us generation after generation.  

When we read the stories of the Bible, it might be helpful to ask ourselves, "Who is the God of Isaac,.....of Jacob.....of Moses....of David....of Mary.....of Jesus?

As we ponder these stories, we come to know not only their God but our God ---- the God of our fathers and mothers, the God of our friends and heroes.  We, too, have our stories but have not attended to them in terms of Who God has been to us.  If God is to be found anywhere, surely it is in our histories.  Spiritual directors often tell us to look back over our lives in ten-year sections, searching for where God has been in each decade of our lives.

Most of us in our youth, I would hazard to guess, sneered at the stories our parents told us -- if indeed they spoke of God at all.  And yet, now that we are old, we might look back with reverence on those stories as well as our own experience, and say to God, "I had heard of you with my ears, but now I behold you with my eyes!" (Job 42:5)

We Believe.....

 Bishop Robert Barron's video series on The Creed is packed full of thought-provoking statements.  Last night, after viewing episode 1 of the series, a friend and I were discussing Barron's insights on the first two words of the Creed:  I/we believe...

We used to say "We believe in God...." when I was growing up in the Catholic Church.  Now we say, "I believe...." each Sunday.  Barron argues that the question should remain open as to the most appropriate response.  He agrees that it is good for us to declare, each one of us, that "I" believe -- to make our own statement of belief, regardless of what others believe.  And of course, that stance appeals to our independent, individualistic culture, especially in the West today.

However, the statement "We believe" carries its own justification.  The faith of one not only strengthens that of the other, but it also imparts a particular joy of unification and friendship.  C. S. Lewis' classic essay on Friendship in his book Four Loves cannot help but bring joy to anyone who has experienced the kind of friendship he describes.  

According to Lewis, friendship, unlike erotic love, always welcomes the third, fourth, or fifth person into the relationship.  For friendship is not two people looking at one another, but rather it is two people looking together at a third "thing" which both love and enjoy.  The enjoyment of my friend in stamp collecting, birdwatching, traveling, wine-tasting, or whatever draws us together, enhances my own joy because now I see the object not only from my own perspective but also from the perspective and experience of my friend.  And when my friend dies, I lose not only my friend, but also his/her enjoyment of the third thing which we both enjoyed.

For the past 15 years, a group of about 6 to 12 of us have been meeting on Wednesday mornings to read, study, and talk about our faith.  The group began as a bible study, but eventually merged into a  book study, wherein we read the chosen book together (not individually at home), stopping to comment on, reflect on, question, or discuss what we are reading.  Our current study is Four Witnesses by Rod Barrett, a history of the earliest church reflected in the writings of Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, Ireneus of Lyons, and Justin Martyr.

As we openly discuss our reactions to the faith and experience of the early church, we tend to reveal our own stories and spiritualities.  Here is where "we believe" becomes strength to all of us.  We are absorbing what the Fathers of the Church believed and lived, with considerable impact on our own lives and stories --- but the faith reactions of one person in the group also impacts the faith and reactions of the others.  The insights given to one become the insights of all because we trust and respect one another --- and we are all built up together into one body with "living stones," in the words of Scripture.  The "I believe" eventually, through thoughtful exploration, becomes "We believe..."

For those of us who believe and live the communion of saints, living and dead, the circle widens even further.  Most of us chose patron saints when we were confirmed.  Mine was Therese of Liseux, for no other reason at the time than that I was a sixth-grade girl, and the statue of St. Therese in our church was beautiful.  But grace....grace.... itself went before and behind me.  Now, as an adult, I have discovered that my spirituality matches that of St. Therese, and her "beliefs" have strongly impacted and confirmed my own experience.  When my own spirituality cannot climb to the heights of that of the great saints, I find consolation in the littleness of St. Therese, in the simplicity of her everyday life.  And her reflections often pierce my soul.  

The same might be said of the writings of Padre Pio, Ignatius of Loyola, St. Benedict and so on....their unique faiths, their different approaches to the enjoyment of God, all serve to enhance my own faith and give me joy.  It has been said that the "life of the world to come" included in our credal statement means that as friends at last, we will all enjoy one another's enjoyment of God and of the ways He has worked in our lives.  Something to look forward to, indeed!