Monday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
I don’t know about you, but discussing politics or religion with members of my extended family (and many of my friends) can get very sticky. Most everyone (myself included) comes to these conversations with their pre-established agendas and strong personal opinions; the so called ‘conversation’ can easily lead to arguments that end in hurt feelings or worse. I got to thinking about this while reading today’s Scriptures and began wondering how I could change my approach to these discussions in a way that reflects my life as a disciple of Jesus. I need to try something new.
In today’s passage from chapter 4 of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is reading the familiar passage from the Book of Isaiah (Is 61:1-2) at the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth; this is Jesus’ public proclamation of his life mission. The initial ‘amazement’ of the people in attendance quickly turns to disdain when Jesus challenges their firmly held belief that anyone outside of their community are excluded from the good graces of God. Their reaction is so intense they try and throw him off a hill outside of town. From where I stand, it’s easy to see them as closed minded and reactionary. But how often do I experience the same intense emotions when my firmly held personal beliefs are challenged? While I would not consider hurling someone off a cliff an acceptable solution, I may find holding them in disdain or publicly deriding their opinion in a stance of self-righteousness viable options. And no one walks away from these situations feeling good. I need always remember I cannot change another person’s mind or heart. Even in the physical presence of Jesus Christ, most people could not bring themselves to consider what his message was. What I can do is change ME. I can change the way I approach people with opinions or deeply held beliefs that greatly differ from my own. In fact, my behavior in these circumstances says much more about my Christian discipleship than anything I express verbally. I can choose to remain aware that I will never grasp the whole truth of a matter this side of the grave. However, I can consciously engage with others in a spirit of acceptance and love rather than automatically going into ‘defense mode’. I can choose to try something new. I may be surprised—even delighted—at what happens. I may be reminded (or realize for the first time) that I don’t know the whole truth; I am only privy to part of it. I may make a new connection to someone I have always felt at odds with. I may even walk away knowing I was the presence of Jesus to the others in my company.
Discipleship as a Christian always means trying something new. It is always living with the realization that I am only ‘on the way’ and must never sit on my laurels. This side of the grave, I live with moment to moment opportunities placed before me to grow more deeply into the person of Jesus. Today, by the grace of the God the Father, who has claimed me as His own, may I scrape together the courage to ‘try something new’.
--Gail Lyman