Walk The Constricted Road
June 26,
2012
Tuesday
of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
By Beth DeCristofaro
Therefore, thus says the
LORD concerning the king of Assyria: 'He shall not reach this city, nor shoot
an arrow at it, nor come before it with a shield, nor cast up siege-works
against it. … I will shield and save
this city for my own sake, and for the sake of my servant David. (2 Kings
19:32, 34)
Do to others whatever you
would have them do to you. This is the
Law and the Prophets. Enter through the
narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction and
those who enter through it are many. How
narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find
it are few. (Matthew 7:12-14)
Piety
O God, we ponder your mercy
within your temple.
As your name, O God, so also your praise
reaches to the ends of the earth.
Of justice your right hand is full (Psalm 48:10-11)
As your name, O God, so also your praise
reaches to the ends of the earth.
Of justice your right hand is full (Psalm 48:10-11)
Study
How we
long for full, swift and complete justice.
In the book of Kings, God’s avenging angel decisively and fatally deals
with the king of Assyria. Hitler killing
himself in his bunker was an answer to prayers, certainly. But bad guys don’t always get what they
deserve. The Cambodian dictator and
murder, Pol Pot, however, hid for decades until finally dying while in house
arrest. And I would like to see that
avenging angel visit the Syrian government to put an end to the killing of
innocent civilians.
The
constricted road of love which Jesus talks of is one of justice and mercy as
well. Jesus asks me to have humility and
faith, honestly evaluating where I find myself.
The Constitution on the Church in the Modern World states that “In the
depths of his conscience, man detects a law which he does not impose upon
himself but which holds him to obedience. … For man has in his heart a law
written by God. To obey it is the very
dignity of man; according to it will he be judged.[i]
Where is
the line between responsibly saving for my future and hoarding a selfish share
of resources? In my work in health care,
am I motivated by people’s God-given right to human dignity or do I allow the
lure of power and authority to lead me?
As a Caucasian, middle-class woman do I relax in the status-quo or stand
up for those who do not have my privilege?
The gate is narrow, the road is constricted and Jesus tells us it is not
easy.
Action
Take time for an
examination of conscience. Look with an
open, contrite heart at the darker moments in which you strayed from the
constricted road. Accept with joy the
moments in which Christ’s light shone.
Recommit in a specific way to an action that is centered directly in
that constricted road even if it opens you to humiliation or
embarrassment. Jesus is there.
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