“The Simple
Truth!” by Wayne Miller
“…our qualification comes from God, who…qualified us
as ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter
brings death, but the Spirit brings life.”
(Corinthians 3:4-11)
“Teach me your paths, my God, and guide me in your
truth.” (Psalm 25:4b,
5a)
“Do not think
that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17-19)
Piety
Father God, thank you for always being
with me. Give me Your eyes to see, Your
ears to hear, Your heart to feel, and Your voice to speak Love to my brothers
and sisters.
Study
Only a couple of weeks ago, I reflected
on the first “council” of Jerusalem and was somewhat flip about how we are a curious tribe that insists on making up rules (commandments?) to circumscribe
our lives and identify the “good” and the “bad”.
Why isn’t it enough just to follow the
“Great Commandment”? Why do we need 613
laws or 2800+ paragraphs or even just 10 commandments, when Jesus said one would
do – “Love God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself?”
St Paul takes a pretty hard line today:
LAW=DEATH,
JESUS=LIFE!!
My favorite theologian, Friar Richard
Rohr would call this hard-core dualistic thinking. Maybe Paul hadn’t gotten Matthew’s text
quoting Jesus. Oh, the conundrum: trust
the secure boundaries of rules or trust that God’s Love, living and flowing
through us, will never be wrong.
Then, in our Gospel, Jesus validates
everything – down to the “smallest part of a letter…” of the law!! But – He promises to fulfill it! His Spirit will illuminate every little nook
and cranny, making it come alive in our hearts; converting the death of legal transgression
into the joy of Jesus’ vision in every situation and creature connection.
Wow! The Law and the Spirit are living
together in complete harmony! Do you
think this was what our Loving Creator had in mind all along???
Action
What are the rules that I bristle
against? Can I stop and ask the Lord to
show me His Love and Spirit – exactly in the center of the thing that I want to
reject. I’m pretty sure that my fearful,
judgmental humanity is not wise or patient or open enough for the task.
Jesus had an answer for that too: “…for
man it is not possible. But for God, all
things are possible.” If I can just remember
to step back and take a deep breath, then ask Jesus what He wants me to learn
in this situation and wait in contemplative listening. Amazing things happen in
my mind and heart!
Law
and Joy living in beautiful unity – and I discover myself: the secure,
innocent, child in their midst, enveloped by a Loving Christ. If the Holy
Spirit can live in me, he can live in every person and situation. My call is to
claim Christ’s fulfillment and live it.
De Colores!
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