There are a lot of armchair critics who are able to inform us how things should be done and by when. We live in a culture where we are heavily invested in reality television where we are hooked into matters which distract us from what is truly important. There numb our sensibilities to discovering a life which has substance and meaning. We seem to given a great deal but not asked to account for it. What seems to be the central message is that we are called to be numbed of what truly adds value to life by engaging in a story which is not our own.
At the heart of this weekend's gospel is the story of the vineyard in which the people who manage it think they own it! They start to be believe that they have a better understanding of its purpose than the person who established it. After all they are familiar with its daily operations and the products it produces and they start to claim ownership for themselves. They start to fall short of seeing how their story is an echo of a greater story and that the fruits they produce are a way of encountering the goodness of that story.
So to in our own lives we start to notice that it can be easier to take the initiative rather than wait for directions of what we are working for. We can start to plan our own day on what we consider important rather than what truly brings life. We need to become reflective people who seek to become good stewards of who and what is trusted to our care. This is not so that we can become possessive of it but so that we can see its true worth. We need to guard against those moments when we think we own something or someone for our good and not for the good of God. It is a delicate balance because we can start to see the work we do as our work rather than as cooperation with God who brings out true value. This is why we need to ask God to allow us to be present each day to what brings value to our lives and for what we are called to give thanks. We need to notice how we have been a good steward for that day and then move on to the next. This allows our story to become a dynamic unfolding of what brings life rather than a grasping at things that we try to possess and which can diminish us. We can give glory to God in all things by being present to the unfolding story of our life.
At the heart of this weekend's gospel is the story of the vineyard in which the people who manage it think they own it! They start to be believe that they have a better understanding of its purpose than the person who established it. After all they are familiar with its daily operations and the products it produces and they start to claim ownership for themselves. They start to fall short of seeing how their story is an echo of a greater story and that the fruits they produce are a way of encountering the goodness of that story.
So to in our own lives we start to notice that it can be easier to take the initiative rather than wait for directions of what we are working for. We can start to plan our own day on what we consider important rather than what truly brings life. We need to become reflective people who seek to become good stewards of who and what is trusted to our care. This is not so that we can become possessive of it but so that we can see its true worth. We need to guard against those moments when we think we own something or someone for our good and not for the good of God. It is a delicate balance because we can start to see the work we do as our work rather than as cooperation with God who brings out true value. This is why we need to ask God to allow us to be present each day to what brings value to our lives and for what we are called to give thanks. We need to notice how we have been a good steward for that day and then move on to the next. This allows our story to become a dynamic unfolding of what brings life rather than a grasping at things that we try to possess and which can diminish us. We can give glory to God in all things by being present to the unfolding story of our life.
No comments:
Post a Comment