This gospel reminds me of two special stories.
The first story:
There is a town that has four separate neighborhoods. The first neighborhood is called, “Yabuts.” The people who live there think they know what needs to be done. As a matter of fact, they talk about it quite convincingly – up to a point. When told they have an opportunity for something, the conversation goes something like this: “Ya, but…” The “Yabuts” have the answer. It just happens to be the wrong answer.
The next neighborhood is known as the “Gunnados.” Now they are some of the best-intentioned folks you could ever meet. They really understand what needs to be done, and they would have done it, if they had only followed through. They study everything that is required very carefully, and just as an opportunity drifts past them, they realize what they were “gunnado.” If only they had done what they were “gunnado.”
Another neighborhood is known as the “Wishawoodas.” These people have an excellent perspective on life – hindsight. They say, “I ‘wishawooda’ this, or ‘wishawooda’ that…” They know everything that should be done, only it’s after the fact.
The last neighborhood is known as the “Gladidids.” They are a truly special group of people. The “Wishawoodas” drive by the “Gladidids” homes and admire them. The “Gunnados” want to join them, but just cannot quite get around to it. The “Yabuts” could have been “Gladidids,” but destiny just did not smile on them. The “Gladidids” are pleased that they are disciplined enough to do what they know they should do instead of always doing what they wanted to do.
These are the four neighborhoods. In which neighborhood do you live? In which one would you rather live? 1) Yabuts 2) Gunnados 3) Wishawoodas 4) Gladidids.
The second story:
There is an ancient story about three demons who were arguing over the best way to destroy the Christian mission in the world. The first demon says, “Let’s tell all the Christians there is no heaven. Take away the reward incentive and the mission will collapse.” The second demon says, “Let’s tell all the Christians there is no hell. Take away the fear of punishment and the mission will collapse.” The third demon says, “There is one better way. Let’s tell all the Christians that there is no hurry” and all three immediately say, “That’s it! All we have to do is tell them there’s no hurry and the whole Christian enterprise will collapse.”
Some things can’t be put off to the last minute- the foolish bridesmaids needed to be reminded of this. We are reminded – happy is the person who takes to heart this message and does something about it today.
Archive for the ‘Ordinary Time’ Category
Ya Buts 11-6-11
Sunday, November 6th, 2011“Good Religion or Bad Religion?” 10-30-2011
Sunday, October 30th, 2011What is the difference between good religion and bad religion. That is the theme with which we are dealing today.
It should be noted that the primary difference between good religion and bad does not lie in the realm of theological ideas. Jesus did not denounce the scribes and Pharisees for what might be called “doctrinal heresy”. In fact he almost seemed to approve of them at that point. He told his disciples to “do everything and observe everything they tell you”. But then he added, “Do not follow their example.” In other words he approved of their religious theory but disapproved of their religious practice. He did not like what their religion had done to their character.
Jesus knew that in matters of religion it is possible to be doctrinally correct and, at the same time, to be morally and ethically corrupt.
These people had so misused their religion as to make themselves arrogant snobs. They were firmly convinced that they were just a little bit better than the average run of people. And that, my friends, is one sure sign of a religion gone bad.
Good religion always engenders humility. Bad religion engenders arrogance. Whenever you and I begin to think that we are a little bit better than some other person or some other group, we can mark it down at that very point, our religion has started to go bad.
It works something like this: Since I am right and you are wrong, and since I am better than you are, then God must surely be on my side against you. This means that I have a divinely mandated responsibility to get you straightened out. This gives me the right to impose my will upon you. If I cannot change your mind then I must control your actions so that you cannot corrupt the rest of society.
This is the attitude that brought about the crucifixion of Christ. This is the attitude that created and sustained the institution of slavery. This is the attitude that inspired and energized the Nazi regime in Germany. This is the attitude that underlies all racial discrimination and religious persecution. There is no more damnable attitude on the face of the earth than the tragic notion that Gods is on my side against you.
Let me illustrate the attitude by citing two events of recent history and a comment that was made concerning them. Some of us remember the tragedy when a Korean passenger plane was shot down by a Soviet jet fighter, killing two hundred sixty-nine people. The other event was less publicized. It happened a few months later in that same region. There was an accidental explosion on a Soviet military base that killed approximately three hundred of their military personnel. A short time later a nationally known television evangelist (Jerry Falwall) reminded his listeners of both events and then gave his interpretation of them. He pointed out that the second tragedy is shrouded in mystery. And no one knows for sure what happened. But he insisted that he knew. His exact words were these: “God struck the match.” In other words, God caused the explosion. He was punishing them for what they had done to us. The evangelist was saying that same old thing – God is on our side against them. And I could not disagree more.
I am saying, my friends, that God is not on our side against anybody. Our role in this world is not to conquer and control. It is to save. Jesus said, “The greatest among you will be the one who serves the rest.” That is good religion. And if we ever forget it, our religion has started to go bad.
I close by quoting Mother Teresa. More than any person, she knew what good religion is. She says: “Each person’s mission is a mission of love. Begin in the place where you are, with the people closest to you. Make your homes centers of compassion and forgive endlessly. Let no one ever come to you without coming away better and happier…
“At the hour of death when we come face-to-face with God, we are going to be judged on love; not how much we have done, but how much love we put into doing”
Now that’s good religion!
“You’re Not Much Help Here, Lord” 10-16-2011
Sunday, October 16th, 2011As Jesus was teaching, someone approached him with two bumper stickers, one for Barack Obama, one for Republicans. “Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God. Tell us, who should we vote for?” Jesus replied, “Vote for those who will lead you to God’s reign. Support those who will establish the Father’s kingdom of justice and mercy.”
A parent then came up to Jesus and handed him two bills and asked, “Lord, money is tight. Which do I pay first: my house payment or my contribution to my church?” Jesus said, “Give thanks to God for what you have received. Pay to our creditors what is rightly owed them.”
A teenager next came up to Jesus. “Jesus, my Confirmation class meets tonight, the same time as football practice for this weekend’s big game. Should I come to class or do I meet my obligations to my teammates and coaches?” Jesus blessed him, saying, “Give to God the time he has given you. Give to your team the time the game warrants.”
All three – the voter, the homeowner, the teenager – left Jesus as confused as they were when they approached him.
Jesus’ answers are not the clear solutions we hope for to these and many other questions. But his response is the heart of living our faith: the struggle to return to God what is God’s. Through prayer and discernment, each one of us has to do for ourselves the hard work of deciding exactly what is God’s will in our complex world of politics, money and human relationships. Jesus’ response to the Pharisees today confronts them, and us, with the demand to act out of our deepest convictions and take responsibility for those actions. The purpose and meaning of life, the path to dealing with the complexities of our time and place, are found in our struggle with our consciences and in the values we hold in the depths of our hearts. Jesus appeals to us to look beyond the simplistic politics and black-and white legalisms represented by Caesar’s coin and realize that we are called to embrace the values centered in a faith that sees the hand of God in all things and recognizes every human being as being part of one human family under the providence of God.
