Ground Hog in our Backyard
There is a pained and poignant question in today’s reading from John. The dense disciples are still asking for proof from Jesus. Jesus turns to Phillip and says, “Have I been with you for all this time and still you do not know me?”
This is a heart-penetrating question that could well be addressed to each and every one of us. Jesus has been with us 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 years or more and yet we still act as if we do not know him. Continue reading
Jesus speaks words of comfort. In doing so he tells us the secret of living with God. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith in me too.” Eileen Wirth in her Creighton Daily Reflection for today says that life is a mystery. In the sixties we often said that life is a mystery and not a problem to be solved. All the technology in the world will not solve the mysteries of living in an evolving world. Metaphorically, the place Jesus is preparing for us is a place where we come to wisdom, where we come to “understand” life in all its dimensions. Wirth concludes:
My wish for all of us today is that whether we are in a wonderful place in life or suffering through an awful episode or illness, that we will have the faith to let go and to let God. It’s hard to surrender control but, as today’s Gospel tells us, the only way to live is by faith. (http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/042613.html) Continue reading
In Peter’s letter, the author refers to the devil as prowling around like a roaring lion waiting to devour you. Some literal minded Christians personify the devil. At times he shows up with horns, a tail and cloven feet. I much prefer to see “the devil” as a metaphor for the evil that exists in unfinished creation. Evil roamed about like a roaring lion at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.
At times it seems as if some evil force messes with our lives. The Buddha, the Christ, and Peter tell us that we will suffer, that things will go wrong, “The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little, To him be dominion forever, Amen.” Continue reading
For some, the label “Christian” comes to be a badge of honor that distinguishes them from other people. They claim salvation and a personal relationship with Jesus.
The Jesus thing has to drill deeper. It has to unearth the Christ. All the biblical roots for the Christ are grounded on one thing, one key element—justice. Let justice roar down like a mighty river. Justice is right order and the Christ is about right order in the cosmos, our institutions, and our lives. Absent a burning desire to bring about the Kin-dom which is all about justice, a personal relationship does little but deceive the person who claims it. Continue reading
Heavenland Secuirty
c. J. P. Mahon, 2013
Peter is hanging out with non-Jews. Tribal religion is on the way out after a brief struggle in the early church. God is the creator God of all peoples. With God nobody is out. All are in. It is really a shame that organized religion has reverted to tribalism. Some are in. Others are out. It is that simple especially in patriarchal religion.
Reading this reminds me of a story told by Tony Campolo and Shane Claiborne in Red Letter Revolution. It seems that St. Peter is a bit confused. He has discovered that there are more people in heaven than appear on his check-in ledger. What is going on? Peter gets his answer. Jesus has been letting people over the wall. Peter is in charge of the main gate. This squares with John 10. Jesus is the good shepherd, Jesus is the gate. The sheep hear his voice. If they hear his voice there is no need for the ecclesiastical seal of approval. Churchy people want to increase border security and control the main gate. No “Strangers” will slip into the kingdom they guard so carefully. Wanna bet? Continue reading
c. J. P. Mahon, 2013
The Lectionary Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter assure us of God’s care. In Acts, Peter does the extraordinary—he raises Dorcas from the dead. Yet, we are more likely to encounter the Divine in the ordinariness of our lives. Yes, there are peak moments but after the Easter alleluias subside and spring is working toward summer, life often is rather ordinary.
Luis Rodrigues, SJ, writing in the Creighton Daily Reflection, urges us to seek God in the ordinary. We can only do this if we are aware of God’s ever-caring presence to us and for us. (http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/042013.html) Continue reading
Coming to the Eighth and Final Station on the Good Friday Ecumenical Prayer Walk, I am reminded of T. S. Eliot’s words, “We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” We are back at Our Lady of Lourdes Church. We have seen the slain Jesus and the resurrected Christ as we made our pilgrimage, as we explored where Jesus is to be found today.
The choices are ours and many choices we have indeed. Have we walked in vain? A few weeks later have we become the change we prayed for or are we still complicit in the suffering of those on the margins? Continue reading
Melbourne City Hall
As we approach the seventh station on the Good Friday Ecumenical Prayer, the towering Melbourne City Hall is coming into view. As we walk and pray, the heated debate over the role of government plays out across the nation. Some people are screaming and yelling for less government. I have even noticed a change of attitude. If you were an educator or public servant, some are prone to remark that you lived off the people, almost as if you were on the dole. Everyone wants to pay less in taxes and claims they want less in government; however, just try cutting something they hold dear. The Postal Service has backed off on its cost savings plan to end Saturday delivery. Observe what happens when someone proposes to cut a military/defense facility to reduce a bloated defense budget in their geographical area. Cut something in the next state over but not in my backyard. Continue reading
Our sixth station on the Good Friday Ecumenical Prayer Walk is at the railroad tracks where freight trains roll through Melbourne. Train tracks are a good symbol for migrant people because many migrants hop rides on trains to get to where they can find work.
Immigration is a hot topic in Washington as we write. A potential deal has been worked out. Secure the borders. Find a pathway for earning citizenship. Enact the Dream Act to allow children who were brought here by parents the opportunity for post-secondary education. All of these concerns factor into the debate. Continue reading
His Place Ministries
The fifth station on the Good Friday Ecumenical Prayer Walk was His Place Ministries, a multifaceted outreach ministry, designed to touch lives with the love of Christ. The center provides a number of services, including Cold Night Shelter.
Homelessness continues to be a problem in America. When I read that homelessness is higher among veterans than among the general population, I think of the women usually standing along one of the main roads in Titusville. Her sign reads, “Please help. I’m a homeless veteran.” Continue reading