This Sunday we hear the story of the landowner who hired people to work in his vineyard throughout the day. At the end of the day, he paid each worker the same wage regardless of whether they worked all day or only two hours. Those that worked all day became angry because they expected to make more than those who only worked a short period of time. This story highlights a big problem that many Christians today have.
We Christians have this terrible issue with comparing ourselves to those around us. We become angry or hateful toward those who are living their lives in a way we find objectionable or disconcerting. But why? Why do we feel this way toward others? I believe it comes from us comparing ourselves to them and becoming jealous of their success, their happiness, their comfortableness living their authentic self. We have been led to believe that being Christian means we can no longer enjoy life. We cannot have fun; we cannot live our lives as we see fit.
This could not be further from the truth. We can live our lives in happiness and be the best version of ourselves. Jesus calls us to be authentic, not fake, unemotional, lifeless husks of ourselves. Nowhere in Scripture are we called to live this soulless and unfeeling life. Yet so many Christians feel that they cannot be a “good” Christian and “good” human being at the same time.
We need to learn to have fun. We need to learn how to experience our human existence without losing the connection to the Divine. I believe we can do this. However, we will never be truly happy if we continue to compare ourselves to others. People are called to walk their paths at different times of their lives while experiencing that journey in different ways. Just because you did not have a miraculous “road to Damascus” type of conversion story does not make your start of your path to the Divine any less significant.
Take time this week to work on being your own person. Stop comparing yourself to others. Live a life full of happiness and joy. Do not sabotage your spiritual walk by comparing yourself to others. Be happy! Be filled with love and joy! Find the Divine in the most mondain moments of life!
Pax et Bonum,
Bishop Greer