Monday 12 May 2008

Here is a good piece to consider as we begin the week - again, Thomas Merton.

Unnatural, frantic, anxious work, work done under pressure of greed or fear or any other inordinate passion, cannot properly speaking be dedicated to God, because God never wills such work directly. God may permit that through no fault of our own we may have to work madly and distractedly, due to our sins, and to the sins of the society in which we live. In that case we must tolerate it and make the best of what we cannot avoid. But let us not be blind to the distinction between sound, healthy work and unnatural toil.

We have many personal reasons for being frantic and anxious. Each of us are called to consider what is motivating us and moving and pushing us. That is part of who we are as followers of Jesus who are to be living in the Reign of God. This is not always an easy thing to consider. On the other hand, I was caught by the note that we "work madly and distractedly...due to...the sins of the society in which we live." The complete broken focus of the community creates instability and fear and dis-ease. When we do not see to the health care of all people - without exception, for example, and make it something a person must earn, generations of people go sick and must be whipped into that "frantic and anxious" cycle of life. Too often, people are attempting to enter a life of privilege so that they are not left out of the benefits that really need to be the bedrock of just society for all. That attempt to rise means we step on others or simply ignore them on our way to secure ourselves. When we are children of God, we are given eyes to see the whole story...the truth...and in that time of contemplation, we become people who act not frantically and anxiously....but with justice and mercy and loving kindness. The quality of life is quite different when we look at what is moving us.

Connection: Yes, the day may turn out to be a bit frantic and filled with anxiety. Therefore we are invited, again, to rest in the promises of our God. That may mean we pick ourselves up and become active in new ways...and it may mean that we really do simply rest for awhile.

God of New Life, we long for days when your mercy and justice become the face of your community of saints. For in those days, the wind of your Spirit will be blowing us in new directions and we will begin to see all things through the lens of your coming Reign. Amen.