Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
When I was a kid, we played hide and seek all the time. Growing up out in the country with 5 siblings, this was extra fun to play outside at night. It added another layer of challenge because of the darkness (especially in rural northern Ohio); sometimes a hider was able to sneak all the way to the base if they were quiet enough because the seeker could not see them coming. Fast forward 25 years and now my own children are playing hide and seek together. They are still young enough that they haven’t graduated to take the game outside at night but just the other day, our 8 year old was playing it in the house with our 2 year old. My favorite part about being the seeker is getting to say, “ready or not, here I come!” It gets the blood flowing and elevates the excitement as the anticipation grows for both the hiders and the seeker. This is probably a significant stretch, but in some sense, we are kind of in the longest, most drawn out game of hide and seek with God.
Stay awake! Wise words for us to consider in our faith journey. Be alert because ready or not, Jesus is coming. However, I’m not alluding to the physical return of Christ the bridegroom, the second coming. I am referring to the opportunities we have each and every day to encounter our good God. How ready are we for what life is bringing to our presence today? To stay awake for Christ is to be wise and have oil for our lamps so that when the bridegroom comes, we are all ready to meet him and be welcomed. We are called to live differently in this world; to live a radical commitment to love others with the heart of Jesus. Who is it in my life that God wants me to love? What do I need to do to be ready to welcome others? Am I daily seeking out opportunities to grow in my faith, to grow closer to others, to grow closer to Christ?
Ready or not, today is here. The time is now to think like Jesus, talk like Jesus, and act like Jesus. Be aware of the grace that God has placed in front of you today. Our Christian call to holiness is not a passive experience. We get to be collaborators with Christ in this giant game of hide and seek. One of the most terrifying things I can imagine would be to hear those words from Jesus: “I do not know you.” (Mt 25:12). Our God is so wonderful and loving that we are granted the freedom to choose to love one another. Let’s say “Yes!” to that opportunity. Like the foolish virgins, it is easy to get caught off guard, distracted by trivial things so much that we miss what is important, what is essential. We miss the presence of Christ in the people around us, the present moment. May our good God help us to stay awake for the day and the hour. Ready or not, here I come!
Peace,
Brandon Meyer