Job gets right to the point this Sunday. Life sucks! He sounds very much like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. “Oh, woe is me. Life is just a drudgery.”
I feel that way sometimes myself. Life can be a difficult path to walk. Add to that the people who are intent on making life more difficult for everyone, and you have a perfect storm. And yet, I continue to walk.
Paul gives us more to think about as we walk this path of life. Paul tells us that he was called to be an ambassador to all those he meets. So, to make his life more difficult, Paul became a slave to all so that he could try to win over all. In this way, Paul was more like a modern Franciscan.
Saint Francis of Assisi called the church to live a life of poverty. To get down with the people who were poor, homeless, drug addicted, sex workers, and all those considered to be social pariahs. He wanted us to live the Gospel message of teaching by our lives and examples. Not standing on a street corner holding a sign and yelling at people.
No, we need to be real examples of the life of the Christ. And sometimes that means speaking out on matters of social justice, life and death, and even risking losing everything to help others. It is not a comfortable life, but it is the life Jesus lived while he was on earth.
I have been asked why I speak out against genocide. I have been called horrible names for standing up for the rights of all people. I have been threatened with death and torture. However, I refuse to give up on the world or the Gospel.
You see, I think that deep inside all of us is the potential for great good. I think many of us have buried that good; we have chosen to instead embrace the darkness. But I also must believe that we are not beyond redemption. Which is why I continue to preach the message of love, compassion, hope, and joy to the world.
We can be the kind of Christians that Jesus would be proud of, if only we would make a change in our daily lives. We must start by recognizing that all people are Children of the Divine. We must see the Creator in the creation. If we cannot see God in each person we meet, then we will treat them as though they are inconsequential.
Next, we must be willing to set aside our ego and our pride. We must be willing to humble ourselves to serve one another. Not just the rich and powerful, but the poor and homeless. We must be willing to wash the feet of all those we meet just like Jesus would have.
And then, we must also rekindle our relationship with God. Humanity has lost the connection to the Divine. We choose to focus on money, power, and ego rather than God, those around us, and those most in need. Once we turn back to the Divine, we will see a transformation in our daily lives. Things will no longer seem as hopeless in the world around us.
Won’t you join me on this walk? I hope to see you Sunday!
Pax et Bonum,
Bishop Greer