Two somewhat silly things come to my mind as I reflect on this Sunday’s gospel lesson:
1. Jesus keeps his distance from the crowd. He gets into a boat and sits there before telling the infamous parable of the sower. You can already guess what I would like to relate Jesus’ physical distancing with. But I won’t go there. You get the point. If Jesus knows how to keep his six feet distance from the crowd as they gather around him at the beach, this is the time for us to follow his example though he never taught about physical distancing! Yet, isn’t this much easier to do than any other teaching of Jesus? On the other hand, there seems to be spiritual significance in his move to the boat. Not only does he get himself in the boat but also it can be seen as his invitation to those to join him in the boat. Echoing Amy Allen’s last Sunday reflection, we can imagine Jesus sitting in the boat and secretly inviting the crowd, “So, come on in, the water’s fine! Take a leap of faith into the waiting arms of God, and find refreshment in the sea of infinite love.” Yet, remember this invitation to journey with him in the sea of infinite love is not going to be like being on a cruise. It’s a small boat with like-minded people who are willing to experience the God of Jesus. Since it’s just a small boat that sails on the sea, you will most likely get seasick and encounter a bumpy ride. Of course, you’ll see the beauty of God’s creation and love. What’s important is to have a realistic picture of the life Jesus calls us to join. You might find him sleeping with his head on a pillow, especially during the storm! (So if you happen to get in his boat, bring your most comfy pillow!) In case you feel terrified or anxious on this journey, don’t wake him up but try to take a nap like he does. Get curious more about what enables him to do that. It’s not a sleeping pill that gives him sleep but the peace and love of God with which he is united. 2. Regarding the parable of the sower, I wonder about the sower’s clumsiness. The sower is quite sloppy! The seeds fall on the path, on rocky ground, and among thorns. S/he doesn’t seem to be so careful with the seeds and isn’t skilled at planting seeds on good soil. Shouldn’t Jesus blame the sower for being somewhat inexperienced, ungainly, and even wasteful? On the other hand, we can see the sower as Jesus himself. He might be seen as extravagant, incompetent, and unprofessional, displaying a lack of skills in asset management. Yet, remember he’s not so into capitalism’s ethos or our sense of how one should precisely and effectively manage to plant seeds, and has never ever signed up to be the CEO of the Christian religion. As his focus on the parable of the sower is not on the sower but on where the seeds are sown, the sower’s rather clumsy and extravagant way of handling the seeds can be considered as the limitless and abundant grace of God. God’s love is unconditional and unbound. There’s no need to worry about saving the seeds. The seeds, which Jesus interprets as the word of God, are always abundantly given without ever stopping as God’s grace doesn’t ever stop though we may feel like it can be short at times. Now, getting in the boat of Jesus is like cultivating the seeds in the spiritual garden of our heart. Our first task is to take care of our spiritual garden so that the seeds, which are constantly provided, can bear fruits. I remember Fr. Keller was very much into gardening, which he was good at. I never met him in person, but I imagine he was not only taking care of our church garden but was probably gardening his heart. It must’ve been his spiritual practice. For those of you who actually do garden, you know what it’s like to remove weeds between beneficial plants, water, and etc. Spiritual gardening is similar. We have to know what’s in our hearts first and accept not just flowers and plants but nettles as well. This analogy of gardening, however, can easily be used to take a sort of Puritan undertone that we are to rip out all the weeds of bad behaviors, feelings, and thoughts. I suggest otherwise. Accept them for what they are in you rather than striving to be perfect. God never asks us to be perfect but to be faithful gardeners who bear fruits for our neighbors though our garden still has some nettles to take care of. This pandemic has forced us into isolation. It’s still baffling yet we do it because we have to. From this forced attitude, we can move onto a creative and positive perspective which considers this isolation as the time of solitude. This solitude in which we look into our spiritual garden invites us to a silent prayer that we listen to God. The word of God is sown, which is to say the language of God has spoken to us. The language of God is the sacred silence that is peaceful yet is louder when faced with injustice in our world. Here’s the famous story about Mother Teresa. When Dan Rather, CBS anchor asked her what she said during her prayers. She responded, “I listen.” So Dan asked again, “What does God say?” With a smile on her face, she answered, “He listens.” |
Paul"...life up your love to that cloud [of unknowing]...let God draw your love up to that cloud...through the help of his grace, to forget every other thing." Archives
January 2025
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