At the heart of the Gospel, this weekend is the call to move deeper into the heart of God. This is to allow our vision to be adjusted to be in harmony with God's. Yet too often our living of the Christian life can be formed by comparison. There can be a temptation to divide the "good" from the "bad". Our religion and our spiritual life can become centered on what I need and what I have to give. The centre of the universe is based on myself and the temptation to draw others into an orbit around me. We do good to those who are good to others and there is an expectation that I should be loved on my own terms.
Yet the Gospel reorientates us and reminds us that the centre of gravity lies outside of us. We discover that God has already discovered us as lovable from the first moment of our creation. God notices fundamental goodness about us which needs to be valued and respected. Yet so often we can see this distorted by attitudes that judge, condemn, and do not forgive others for the wrongs or injustices we have experienced. This can be a daily reality when we focus solely on ourselves rather than on the context in which we are called to live. I find it too easy myself to narrow my vision onto what I see rather than adjust my heart to broaden my horizon.
This is not just about blindly rushing into activity but allowing God to direct our hearts for our good and the good of the other. A person's dignity is that they are created in the image and likeness of God. When this becomes foundational in our life we start to hear the Word become part of who we are; "Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge and you not be judged yourselves; do not condemn and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give and there will be gifts for you; a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back." Luke 6.36-38
No comments:
Post a Comment