Epiphany 3B (Mark 1:14-20)

In high school, my two favorite classes were art and woodshop. What about you? I cherished these classes because they engaged my hands, fostering imagination and precision. Unlike abstract theories, they were tangible, down-to-earth experiences. Their appeal also lay in the practical wisdom they offered. For instance, my woodshop teacher's advice was simple yet profound: “Measure twice, and cut once.” “Wood moves.”

Recall the gospel that Jesus starts sharing after St. John the Baptist’s arrest. He continues the legacy of St. John. The message is direct and uncomplicated: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” His message was direct: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” This teaching, not academic, resonated more with my woodshop teacher than my applied mathematics professor. It stemmed from Jesus's first-hand experience “of” the kingdom of God, not a mere bookish understanding “about” it.

This morning, let's view Jesus's words as wisdom, not a theoretical exposition. He isn't presenting a theory but inviting us to witness and experience the truth for ourselves.

The time is fulfilled. 
It's time to see for ourselves, here and now.
The kingdom of God has come near. 
God’s presence is closer than we are to ourselves. 
Repent. 
Look inward, not outward; turn around and delve within.
Believe in the good news. 
Have a conviction or trust in Jesus that God’s kingdom is truly within you. 

If Jesus could experience the kingdom of God, so can we. Why would he tell us something that we cannot accomplish? He calls this news “good” which leads us to “God.” It’s supposed to be beneficial to us. It is godlily good for us! It can take us to the source of true happiness. His persistent emphasis on the kingdom of God is consistent throughout his healing and teaching ministry. When his friends ask him how to pray, the first sentence after addressing God is “Thy kingdom come.” Notice it is “Thy kingdom” that is coming, not that we are going there. God’s presence is not a destination we arrive at but is omnipresently available to all living creatures. 

The trouble we might have with the words of Jesus this morning may come from our inexperience in trying out his instruction ourselves. We might not know why we need to measure twice. We might not get why we cannot cut more than once. We might be clueless about wood expanding and contracting in response to humidity and temperature until we see for ourselves. If Jesus says the presence of God is within us, why don’t we see it? Meister Eckhart would say, “God is at home in us, but we are abroad.”

But he gives us a clue, "Nothing in all creation is so like God as stillness.” Thomas Merton would then echo, “In silence, God ceases to be an object and becomes an experience.” To experience God, we need to train the mind. Our minds by default aren’t developed to experience God’s presence. Yet, by abundant grace, we experience a glimpse of that very presence in nature, art, music, or poetry. 

When the mind is not trained, the quiet can sound so noisy. We might try to be still, but we might sense our body and mind restlessly wandering around. Yet, don’t give up. Be hopeful. The fact we become aware of our state of being distracted evidences our development of the mind that we somehow step outside the mind and can observe its state. The moment we say, “I’m so distracted by this thought and that feeling” is when we’re cultivating skillful attention to the mind. 

Imagine the scene from Matthew 14:30-33. As Peter walks towards Jesus on the water, he notices a strong wind and becomes distracted by fear of death. He sinks in and loses his attention to Jesus. We may not necessarily encounter a strong wind in a literal sense but do face countless thoughts and feelings. In those circumstances, we’re prone to be distracted and instead be filled with anxiety and fear. It’s easy to criticize those who are attached to their smart devices but they may be distracting themselves from anxiety and fear by not looking at their minds. 

What about you? How’s the condition of your mind? Something keeps you up at night? Cannot focus on anything? The good news is that there’s a way out of that suffering. The better news is that it’s not far but within. Perhaps the not-so-good news is that you have to work for it and it is worth doing it. The more you practice, the clearer your mind becomes to experience God’s presence which is perceived as calm, still, peaceful, restful, restoring, and pleasant. This presence of God becomes our source of resilience, hope, and courage to carry on. This process then entails a cycle of death and resurrection. Restless thoughts and feelings fade, and the presence of God rises within. 

Enough said, and let’s get to work on training the mind in Jesus’ woodshop class!